Ch7: How China Defeated Pollution!

Imagine choking on air so thick it feels like swallowing cotton.

For decades, this was the unfortunate reality for millions in China, where dense smog became a symbol of the country's breakneck industrial growth.

• It was so bad, that 62 of the world’s 100 most polluted cities in 2017 were Chinese, with India accounting for about 22. But guess what?
• The winds of change are blowing, and China's ambitious fight for clean air is rewriting the narrative, line by line, number by number.
• Such that, as of date, just 17 of the world’s 100 most polluted cities are Chinese, while there are 67 Indian cities on the list.

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Today we're delving into China's battle against pollution and its pioneering strides towards environmental sustainability.

Let's journey through China's green transformation!

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The Wake-Up Call: Late 1990s - 2010s

Starting in the 1990s, China's rapid industrialization, infrastructure-building binge and massive urbanisation led to severe environmental consequences, making it one of the most polluted countries.

• The situation had gotten so bad that as of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China had to take on some drastic steps to save its face.
• It temporarily curbed industrial activities and imposed mobility restrictions on the residents to improve air quality.

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Strategic Shifts: 2010-2020

And as the situation kept worsening, Chinese authorities finally took some decision calls.

• That is what led to the Air Pollution Action Plan of 2013, which marked a serious commitment to combating smog, which has gone on to deliver great dividends since.
• Such was the impact, that by 2017, China had already become the world’s largest investor in renewable energy, surpassing the US and Europe.
• But, as we know, at that time 62 of the world’s 100 most polluted cities were still Chinese. Thus, the impact was yet to be seen.

And thus China doubled down on its efforts. And then tripled down.

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What did this mean?

Big investments into four major areas as a holistic end-to-end solution to air pollution woes.

1. Building up the electric vehicles (buses, cars, scooters & bikes) supply and demand in the country
2. Solar and wind energy capacity build-up, as well as the scaling of the whole supply chains which power them
3. To support the electric vehicles push, and deal with the reliability and predictability issues, China also invested massively into different kinds of battery technologies and again went on to cover the whole supply chain by acquiring lithium, nickel and cobalt mines world over
4. Initiating an unprecedented revamp of the state-owned power grid to support the transportation and distribution of the renewable energy generated in solar and wind farms far away from the cities and industries which use them. This is being led by the State Grid Corporation of China, the world's largest electricity utility. Imagine,?a company with nearly $300 billion in annual revenue (Forbes,?2023) and over 2 million employees,?all focused on cleaning up the grid!

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Result?

• Compared to just 4% in 2013, over 35% of China's energy comes from renewables, with significant growth in solar and wind energy.
• Plus, China today is home to the world’s biggest manufacturers of wind turbines, solar panels, cells, batteries, electric buses, and electric cars.

(In the remaining days of the week, we shall dive deeper into each of them one by one, in-depth, every morning at 7.30am)

Outcome?

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From Grime to Green.

• As per China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, PM2.5, the fine particulate matter that once blanketed Chinese cities, has plummeted in major urban centres like Beijing and Shanghai by over 50% since 2013.
• That's equivalent to clearing the air pollution of New York City six times over! China has truly shown, that it’s possible.

And nations like India need to look up to China here and say that we are going to do this too.

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Challenges and Opportunities

• Air pollution remains a concern in smaller cities and rural areas of China, with uneven progress across the country.
• The fight for clean air is a marathon,?not a sprint,?and requires sustained effort in every corner.
• And when doing this, balancing economic growth with environmental protection is a delicate dance that is going to be key.
• China needs to ensure its industries remain competitive while transitioning to greener solutions.?It's like riding a bicycle made of wind turbines – finding the perfect balance to keep moving forward

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Conclusion

From a choked cough to a deep breath of fresh air, China's fight for clean air is a story of grit, innovation and unwavering ambition.

• While challenges remain, every number shows that China has come a long way.
• And, the present state is that of a nation determined to leave behind its smoggy past and embrace a greener future.
• So, the next time you hear about China, remember, the story isn't just about factories and skyscrapers. It's about a country rewriting its narrative, one puff of clean air at a time.

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Subscribe and stay tuned for more updates in this fascinating saga of studying China’s rise!

See you tomorrow morning 7.30 am with another edition.

Best,

Jayant Mundhra