Global Times: China's environmental protection efforts benefit whole Asia region

BEIJING, Nov. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- China's continuous improvement of air quality and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has benefited not only the country itself, but also the rest of Asia and the world, foreign scholars said Monday at an event held in Beijing, calling for more success stories like "China Blue" to spread across the Asian region and help countries reduce air pollution.  

Representatives from authorities and research institutions from China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, the Philippines, totaling nearly 50 participants, attended the event.

At the opening ceremony of the Asian Regional Exchange for Clean Air held in Beijing on Monday, Lei Yu, director of Atmospheric Environmental Planning Institute, Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said that since the implementation of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan in 2013, China has implemented a series of measures, including adjustments to the energy structure, industrial restructuring, and major emission reduction projects. These efforts have led to significant progress and notable achievements in air pollution prevention and control.

"Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei is renowned for turning smog into blue skies, much like what we are seeing today on such a beautiful autumn day," Glynda Bathan-Baterina, deputy executive director of Clean Air Asia, an international NGO, said at the event, hailing China's impressive results in this regard.

The deputy executive director noted that China has achieved 40 percent reduction of PM2.5 in merely seven years, a similar feat accomplished by the US in three decades.

"We need more success stories across Asia like this and having those spread throughout the region," Glynda said.

Gantuya Ganbat, a professor of Environmental Engineering at the German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology, told the Global Times that Mongolia, particularly its capital Ulaanbaatar, is facing severe air pollution challenges due to the burning of fossil fuels, especially in winter. Insufficient financial resources, a shortage of skilled professionals, policy instability, as well as a lack of technological advancements are the major causes for the problem.

"Mongolia has a lot to learn from China's experience and expertise in environmental planning," Ganbat said. For example, Mongolia could learn how China's specialized institutions, such as the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, operate, the processes they use to develop strategies, and how they approach issues like air pollution and carbon neutrality.

Sharing China's experiences and methodologies could not only support Mongolia, but also provide valuable insights for other countries, fostering broader regional cooperation, Ganbat told the Global Times.

Ririn Radiawati Kusuma, Indonesia director of Clean Air Asia, told the Global Times that in Indonesia, the main challenges regarding air pollution are the lack of government commitment and weak law enforcement.

China can coordinate with Indonesia to address these issues in several ways, Kusuma said. First, regional exchanges are essential for facilitating knowledge sharing between local and national governments. Second, partnerships with Chinese entities, including universities and institutions, can facilitate the R&D of environmental programs. Furthermore, Chinese green investments such as electric vehicle manufacturers in Indonesia can accelerate its effort to combat air pollution in the country.

A report was also released at Monday's seminar as part of the "China Air" report series. The report said that as many Asian developing countries are still in the midst of rapid urbanization and industrialization, they are facing grave challenges in air pollution control and greenhouse gas emission reduction. Being the largest economy in Asia, China's continuous improvement of air quality and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has benefited not only the country itself, but also the rest of the region and the world.

In 2023, countries in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia have shown great economic growth momentum, but this has also been accompanied by increased energy consumption and emission intensity. Countries in South Asia face more severe air pollution challenges, as PM 2.5 exposure concentration in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan have nearly doubled the global average.

China, undergoing green transition, has shown a new development trend after encountering the situations seen in other countries, the report reads. As China's GDP per capita exceeded the $10,000 mark and crossed the inflection point, the relationship between the country's economic development and environmental quality improvement have turned from being "a compromise" to a "win-win situation," according to the report. 

According to the latest data released by the MEE, in the first three quarters this year, the percentage of days with good or excellent air quality across 339 Chinese cities at the prefecture level and above reached 85.8 percent, an increase of 1.6 percentage points year-on-year. The average concentrations of PM 2.5, PM 10, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide were 27, 47, 147, and 18 micrograms per cubic meter, respectively, representing year-on-year reductions of 3.6 percent, 7.8 percent, 0.7 percent, and 10 percent.