China Leads in Global Governance Through Green Technology Initiatives
China's initiative to advance green technology is shaping global governance trends.
TroibNews 
Editor's note: As China aims to transform into a modern socialist country across all areas, high-quality development has been identified as the critical focus. In light of the third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee's recent conclusion, CGTN is introducing a collection of special reports highlighting how China is progressing with its reform strategies to further unleash its economic potential and encourage high-quality growth.
Erik Solheim's view on global green technology leaders has shifted dramatically due to the extensive and consistent efforts China has admitted to enhancing sustainable development. This shift in perspective comes from the former UN official who once saw Europe as the center of green technological advances.
"Ten years ago, if people asked me where shall I go to get the best green technology and ideas, I would always answer, please go to Brussels, to Paris and Berlin. If they ask me the same question today, I would say please go to Beijing. Or if you cannot go to Beijing, maybe you should go to Shenzhen, Hangzhou, or to Ningde," Solheim, president of the Green Belt and Road Institute and former executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, wrote in an opinion piece on CGTN.
The recent plenary session in China saw the adoption of significant resolutions aimed at deepening reforms and furthering the country’s modernization, with a special focus on enhancing ecological conservation and reducing carbon emissions for green growth and economic enhancement.
Solheim has remarked on how China's leadership in green technologies is transforming the economic landscape both nationally and globally.
An example of China's green technology prowess is evident in its booming new energy vehicle (NEV) industry. Leading companies like BYD and Tesla through its Shanghai Gigafactory are spearheading this sector's growth. With BYD being one of the top electric vehicle (EV) producers globally, its vehicles are becoming increasingly prevalent both in China and abroad. Meanwhile, Tesla's Shanghai plant is significantly contributing to the escalation of EV production and adoption.
In 2023, China's EV production hit around 4.5 million units, securing approximately 55 percent of the global market share. This is further bolstered by the establishment of over 2.1 million public charging stations across the country, representing 65 percent of the total worldwide.
Beyond the automotive industry, China has achieved remarkable progress in other areas of green technology, such as renewable energy and ecological restoration. This year, the nation’s renewable energy capacity reached about 1.1 terawatts, covering 30 percent of the global total, with leading contributions in wind and solar power sectors.
Older initiatives like the Three-North Shelter Forest Program, launched in 1978, have also seen significant success, increasing China’s forest cover substantially and resulting in the creation of new forests over an area as large as Germany.
"From 2022, China has embarked on a new journey to pursue a Chinese path to modernization, with harmonious coexistence between man and nature an integral part of it," Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, wrote in an opinion piece on CGTN.
"It will help further develop eco-civilization in China's long-term social-economic development. It will also enable China to make more input in global environmental governance and to provide more support to other countries, particularly the Global South, in their pursuits of sustainable development and common prosperity for all," Ma noted.
China's influence in environmental policies reaches globally, significantly impacting worldwide green governance practices. As the head of the Convention on Biological Diversity's 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15), China was crucial in forming the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. "It was considered a historic moment in global biodiversity governance when all parties commit to achieve 23 targets by 2030 to address biodiversity loss, restore ecosystems and protect indigenous rights," Ma explained.
Moreover, China promotes green practices in its overseas investments and aided in eco-friendly initiatives such as the China-Laos railway, which included measures to preserve local wildlife habitats.
During the 76th United Nations General Assembly in September 2021, China committed to stopping the creation of overseas coal-fired power projects and to support the development of green, low-carbon energy solutions in developing nations.
"Chinese modernization is the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature," highlights the recently adopted resolution at the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, emphasizing a swift approach to enhancing frameworks for embracing ecological benefits as invaluable assets.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
Erik Solheim's view on global green technology leaders has shifted dramatically due to the extensive and consistent efforts China has admitted to enhancing sustainable development. This shift in perspective comes from the former UN official who once saw Europe as the center of green technological advances.
"Ten years ago, if people asked me where shall I go to get the best green technology and ideas, I would always answer, please go to Brussels, to Paris and Berlin. If they ask me the same question today, I would say please go to Beijing. Or if you cannot go to Beijing, maybe you should go to Shenzhen, Hangzhou, or to Ningde," Solheim, president of the Green Belt and Road Institute and former executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, wrote in an opinion piece on CGTN.
The recent plenary session in China saw the adoption of significant resolutions aimed at deepening reforms and furthering the country’s modernization, with a special focus on enhancing ecological conservation and reducing carbon emissions for green growth and economic enhancement.
Solheim has remarked on how China's leadership in green technologies is transforming the economic landscape both nationally and globally.
An example of China's green technology prowess is evident in its booming new energy vehicle (NEV) industry. Leading companies like BYD and Tesla through its Shanghai Gigafactory are spearheading this sector's growth. With BYD being one of the top electric vehicle (EV) producers globally, its vehicles are becoming increasingly prevalent both in China and abroad. Meanwhile, Tesla's Shanghai plant is significantly contributing to the escalation of EV production and adoption.
In 2023, China's EV production hit around 4.5 million units, securing approximately 55 percent of the global market share. This is further bolstered by the establishment of over 2.1 million public charging stations across the country, representing 65 percent of the total worldwide.
Beyond the automotive industry, China has achieved remarkable progress in other areas of green technology, such as renewable energy and ecological restoration. This year, the nation’s renewable energy capacity reached about 1.1 terawatts, covering 30 percent of the global total, with leading contributions in wind and solar power sectors.
Older initiatives like the Three-North Shelter Forest Program, launched in 1978, have also seen significant success, increasing China’s forest cover substantially and resulting in the creation of new forests over an area as large as Germany.
"From 2022, China has embarked on a new journey to pursue a Chinese path to modernization, with harmonious coexistence between man and nature an integral part of it," Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, wrote in an opinion piece on CGTN.
"It will help further develop eco-civilization in China's long-term social-economic development. It will also enable China to make more input in global environmental governance and to provide more support to other countries, particularly the Global South, in their pursuits of sustainable development and common prosperity for all," Ma noted.
China's influence in environmental policies reaches globally, significantly impacting worldwide green governance practices. As the head of the Convention on Biological Diversity's 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15), China was crucial in forming the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. "It was considered a historic moment in global biodiversity governance when all parties commit to achieve 23 targets by 2030 to address biodiversity loss, restore ecosystems and protect indigenous rights," Ma explained.
Moreover, China promotes green practices in its overseas investments and aided in eco-friendly initiatives such as the China-Laos railway, which included measures to preserve local wildlife habitats.
During the 76th United Nations General Assembly in September 2021, China committed to stopping the creation of overseas coal-fired power projects and to support the development of green, low-carbon energy solutions in developing nations.
"Chinese modernization is the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature," highlights the recently adopted resolution at the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, emphasizing a swift approach to enhancing frameworks for embracing ecological benefits as invaluable assets.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
