China is experiencing a transportation metamorphosis driven by the rapid growth of automated public transit. From driverless subway cars gliding beneath bustling city streets to electric buses silently navigating urban corridors, the nation is embracing automation to tackle transportation challenges and create a more sustainable future. Recent data reveals the impressive scale of this transformation...
2024 was a banner year for electric vehicles (EVs) in China. Over 6.5 million traditional vehicles were scrapped and replaced, and the domestic market penetration rate for new EV cars exceeded 50% for seven consecutive months starting in June. Annual domestic EV retail sales reached a remarkable 11 million units, a testament to the rapid...
Climate Change Opposition Consists of Communities in Coal-Dependent Regions, Citizens Concerned About Economic Trade-Offs, and Less Educated Citizens Groups and reasons: In China, attitudes towards climate change and the use of renewable energy have been generally positive since 2009-2011. However, they were often depicted as a Western hoax designed to torpedo China’s economic rise before...
China is among the countries with the longest tradition of forest recuperation programs. The government launched the Three-North Shelterbelt Program as early as the 1970s. Also called the Great Green Wall, it is one of the oldest public efforts to increase forest area in China. It aims to plant 4,500 kilometers of trees through the...
Much has been lamented about China’s constant increase in coal capacities to ensure its energy security in recent years. At the same time, headlines proclaiming China’s world market leadership in wind and solar energy equally abound.Indeed, looking at the numbers, both are true. While coal capacities have increased over the past ten years, the overall...
With its vast geographical expanse and diverse climate zones, China experiences significant challenges during the summer season. The rise in temperature affects people and animals, forests, arable land, rivers, coastlines, mountain regions, etc. It causes environmental stress, public health and food security issues, and huge economic losses. According to a 2021 Greenpeace study, more climate...
China today owns the world’s most extensive Emissions Trading System (ETS), with 5.1 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions covered annually. To date, China’s ETS includes more than 2,200 companies in China’s power sector. The first stage includes only power sector companies, but the scheme will ultimately include over 6,000 production companies from different industries....
On January 13, 2024, Taiwan’s 20 million eligible voters were asked to vote for a new president. Taiwan’s constitution compelled incumbent President Tsai Ying-wen from the Democratic Progressive Party to step down as president after having served out two four-year terms. After the elections, her former Vice President, Lai Ching-te, was named President-Elect. The president...
China’s comet-like ascent to global economic powerhouse status over the past 30 years is based on its ability to manufacture everything and anything at reasonable labor and energy costs. Much of the West’s Foreign Direct Investment was spent on building factories to produce textiles, shoes, and other consumer products in the early years, then cars,...
Walking Shanghai’s streets nowadays is a quieter experience than four years ago. Cars and buses glide silently as the electrification of China’s transport system progresses. Electrification and the accompanying transition towards a more diversified energy mix – despite continued headlines decrying increased coal capacities – hold the potential to initiate a structural decline in emissions...
