e-magazine
The Hot Zone
China's newly announced air defense identification zone over the East China Sea aims to shore up national security
Current Issue
· Table of Contents
· Editor's Desk
· Previous Issues
· Subscribe to Mag
Subscribe Now >>
Expert's View
World
Nation
Business
Finance
Market Watch
Legal-Ease
North American Report
Forum
Government Documents
Expat's Eye
Health
Science/Technology
Lifestyle
Books
Movies
Backgrounders
Special
Photo Gallery
Blogs
Reader's Service
Learning with
'Beijing Review'
E-mail us
RSS Feeds
PDF Edition
Web-magazine
Reader's Letters
Make Beijing Review your homepage
Hot Links

cheap eyeglasses
Market Avenue
eBeijing

Business
Print Edition> Business
UPDATED: January 14, 2013 NO. 3 JANUARY 17, 2013
De-carbonizing China
Innovation in the energy sector will pave the way for the country's low-carbon future
By Zhou Xiaoyan
Share

SEEKING SOLUTIONS: The energy innovation forum, a sideline of the New Year Forum of the Guanghua School of Management of the Peking University, was held in Beijing on January 6 (WEI YAO)

Although its per-capita emission is roughly on par with the world's average, China is the world's largest carbon dioxide emitter, spawning a nationwide thirst for an expansion of its new energy sector, where it is already a world leader.

Facing increasing pressure from climate change brought about by fossil fuels, China has made it a national obsession to uncover the potential of new energy. It has carved out its own path to tackle climate change by creating ambitious targets in its five-year plans and making ecological progress part of its national development strategy.

"The trend of continuous growth in energy demands can't be altered," said Li Junfeng, Director of the National Climate Change Strategy Research and International Cooperation Center, on the sideline of the New Year Forum held by the Guanghua Management School of Peking University in Beijing on January 6.

"The only way forward is to enhance the efficiency of energy consumption through technological innovation, which can give us both a higher-quality life and a lower-carbon future," said Li.

"We should have the faith that better technology for the new energy sector, which can change the world, can be invented. This has been proven through countless examples during the past decade," said Yu Pingrong, professor at the School of Engineering of Peking University. "More innovation is needed in this sector."

Recycling carbon

De-carbonization has become a trend in China's energy sector as the country places more demands on companies to combat emissions. Compared with the exploitation of non-fossil fuel energy, which is unstable and costs more, a more realistic move for now is to eliminate carbon dioxide emission.

In 2009, Shenhua Group Corp. Ltd., the largest coal company in China and the world's largest coal supplier, established the National Institute of Clean-and-Low-Carbon Energy in Beijing, aimed at carbon capture and storage, which can lower the carbon emitted from burning coal.

"Trash is a misplaced treasure," said Huang Qing, Shenhua Group's Board Secretary. "Carbon dioxide is a key to the photosynthesis of plants. In the future, if human beings can benefit from the process, carbon dioxide will become a valuable resource."

1   2   Next  



 
Top Story
-Protecting Ocean Rights
-Partners in Defense
-Fighting HIV+'s Stigma
-HIV: Privacy VS. Protection
-Setting the Tone
Related Stories
-An Eco-Friendly Shift
-Climate Talks at Doha
-Riding on a Green Dream
 
Most Popular
 
About BEIJINGREVIEW | About beijingreview.com | Rss Feeds | Contact us | Advertising | Subscribe & Service | Make Beijing Review your homepage
Copyright Beijing Review All right reserved