Articles by CEN_com
Tibetan antelopes no longer on ‘endangered’ list
The status of Tibetan antelopes in China has been downgraded from “endangered” to “near threatened” amid the country’s active anti-poaching and biodiversity protection efforts, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration has announced. Thanks to efforts made to protect the animal over the past 40 years, the number of Tibetan antelopes (or Chiru) has risen from less than 75,000 in the 1980s to around 300,000 today. Despite the good news, the […]
Carbon trading scheme may reduce China’s emissions by 30 to 60%
China’s national emissions trading scheme (ETS) could play an important role in the country’s carbon-neutrality drive by potentially reducing carbon emissions by 30 per cent to 60 per cent of current levels by 2060, according to a report released on Tuesday. The report is by the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC), a network of asset owners and financial institutions representing more than US$26 trillion in assets under management, and global asset […]
China’s energy storage industry on fast track thanks to policy stimulus
China’s efforts to move electricity generation from a coal-dominated system to a mix of renewables is not only focusing on increased utilisation of wind, solar and other technologies but is also seeking to rapidly expand energy storage options. There are a range of energy storage technologies, including molten salt solar powered heat exchange and pumped hydro, however electrochemical battery storage is an area of rapid development. In late July 2021, […]
Wildlife seeking new homes amid urbanization and climate change
Shanghai residents recently spotted a bunch of curious dog-like animals hanging around their neighborhoods. The experts confirmed them as raccoon dogs, or “貉” (hé) in Chinese. Most Chinese have heard of the animal from the phrase “一丘之貉” (yī qiū zhī hé), which could be literally translated to “raccoon dogs of the same hill,” meaning “birds of a feather”. But few actually knew what the animal looked like until recently. The […]
China’s plan for the marine environment
In 2017, the 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party set the goal of creating a “Beautiful China” by 2035. Important to this is a special five-year plan (FYP) for the marine environment. There have been marine FYPs before, for fishing and the ocean economy, but this will be the first one dedicated to the environment. China has identified the protection of the marine environment as an integral part […]
China’s land use: 103 million hectares of farmland protected by “red line”
“The central government has attached great importance to the protection of farmland and we will implement the strictest policies to prevent farmland from being illegally used for other purposes” China’s Ministry of Natural Resources has released details of dozens of typical land-use supervision cases last year, underlining its firm resolve to protect the country’s farmland and ensure food security. The cases, listed in a notification revealed on Tuesday, covered a […]
China’s new energy vehicle industry turbocharged by low-carbon drive
“China 65,000 electric vehicle charging stations, 644 power swap stations, and 1.87 million charging piles had been built nationwide, covering 176 cities and more than 50,000 km of highways.” “Not only has China’s interim goal of 5 million EVs been met, but the country has cultivated the world’s largest plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market. In 2020, nearly half of the world’s plug-in electric car production and 90% of heavy-duty electric […]
China’s first global carbon flux dataset produced through CO2 monitoring satellite
Chinese scientists recently created the country’s first global carbon flux dataset based on data collected by the country’s first carbon dioxide (CO2) monitoring satellite TanSat. The achievement means that China is capable of conducting the quantitative spatial monitoring of the global carbon budget and helping take an inventory of the carbon budgets around the world. More importantly, the capability bears great significance for the country’s goal to peak carbon dioxide […]
Major global environmental treaties US won’t ratify
Most of the world’s countries support these global agreements on conservation and pollution. China has ratified each of them. But the United States of America refuses to ratify (i.e. commit to) these international protocols. In one of his first acts after taking power US, President Biden signed an executive order to have the United States rejoin the Paris climate agreement. This was expected by the international community, and it was described […]