China invests almost 4 times more in clean energy than in fossil fuels
The world will invest $2 trillion in clean energy this year, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). This is roughly double the amount being put towards fossil fuels, the agency said. China is putting 3.7 times more money into clean energy than it is investing in fossil fuels. The world is still off track for the goal of tripling renewables by 2030, said another new […]
Rising sea levels threaten global oil trade & energy security
Image: Shanghai inundation at 4C sea level rise ASIA MOST AFFECTED According to a report released in Hong Kong on May 21, 2024 by China Water Risk (CWR) instead of providing energy security, global oil supply chains are increasingly threatened by rising sea levels. The report warns that the entire oil supply chain is in for a crude awakening as almost two-thirds of oil produced globally is shipped by oil tankers. […]
Restoring China’s vanishing oyster reefs
China has begun protecting and re-establishing its oyster reefs, one of the world’s most endangered marine habitats, but challenges remain. Naturally formed oyster reefs face a precarious existence, with around 85% of them having disappeared globally. China is no exception, and while the country has established special protected areas and rolled out restoration efforts for these reefs, results to date have been limited. Human factors, including overfishing, pollution and pollution-induced […]
What’s behind China’s shift to environmental diplomacy?
CHINA’S infrastructure investments across the Global South are well documented. Less well known, however, is China’s turn to environmental diplomacy. Amid rising geopolitical tensions and hard-power politics, China is also leveraging soft power. This shift is marked by environment- and development-focused initiatives, such as the BRI Green Development Coalition in 2017 and the Global Development Initiative in 2021. Both align with President Xi Jinping’s intention to “build a global ecological […]
Angola’s energy future: China-built hydropower
Cover photo: China is currently building Angola’s largest dam on the Kwanza River. Angola has a huge demand for electricity due to growing urbanization, especially in the capital city of Luanda with approximately five to six million inhabitants. Angola has an electrification rate of about 30%, which the government wants to increased to 60% by 2025. Angola recently inaugurated the Luachimo hydroelectric power station, after bringing the power station back […]
Vietnam seeks China’s expertise in power sector transformation
Proposal for joint Vietnam-China cooperation on a range of projects focusing on the development of integrated energy centres, high-voltage power transmission lines, and the production of new green fuels in Việtnam. Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà has commended China’s advancements in energy modernisation, particularly its renewable energy development and expertise across all stages, from design, production to operation and management. The Deputy Prime Minister met with Luo Bi […]
China’s biodiversity fund for developing nations
Cover photo: UN Environment Program Executive Director Inger Andersen and China’s Minister for Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu Kunming Biodiversity Fund launched in Beijing. A China-initiated fund aimed at supporting biodiversity conservation in developing countries was launched in Beijing on Tuesday, which is expected to “make a significant contribution” to helping these countries conserve and reverse their biodiversity loss. Witnessed by officials from China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment and […]
Chinese scientists detect unreported carcinogenic pollutants
Chinese scientists use AI to detect unreported carcinogenic chemical pollution. Potentially carcinogenic chemicals are prevalent worldwide and going unreported, according to Chinese scientists who identified unknown “forever chemicals” in the environment with the help of machine learning. The non-biodegradable “forever chemicals” – named for their persistence in the environment – became widely used around the world in all kinds of products – including non-stick pans, food packaging, and waterproof and […]
Large Russian solar power plant for Mali
BRICS-member Russia’s energy giant Rosatom is building solar power plant in Africa. The Mali government has announced that Russia’s state-owned Rosatom has begun construction of a large solar power plant in the country. This should be seen in the wider context of Mali’s militant rejection of the Western military presence and interference. Mali, a land-locked West African country with a population of 21.5 million joined the Belt and Road Initiative in […]