North East China has been the focus of much domestic and international criticism for contributing to heavy pollution, particularly in the winter months as heating systems are switched on. However, things are changing! The Paris Accord signed by President Xi in the absence of the USA shows how seriously China takes things and so here are a few of the practical solutions being implemented today:
Traffic control
With 1/3 of all cars in China being located in the Hebei, Beijing and Tianjin region (jingjinji), traffic congestion is a major problem. Beijing already has a policy of only allowing cars into the city on alternate days based on whether their number plate has an even or odd number. And don't think you can just buy a second car as obtaining a second license plate is strictly controlled. Tianjin has particular congestion problem with 2 hour commutes being the norm. This is why satellite cities such as Baoding are building in popularity as they lie just 40minutes by fast train from Beijing but have little traffic and (now) cleaner air.
We welcome China copying the West
China is implementing strict emission controls on new cars with standards being adopted from Europe with the National VI standards for emissions being adopted. China is also implementing road-side emission monitors to ensure that heavy trucks and lorries using the main highways comply with the latest emission tests. This is a positive move but not as significant as the decision by Tianjin and Hebei province to stop the daily movement of 7,000 lorries carrying coal from the north east region to the ports, shifting this cargo to rail. While the decision to implement such a change will have negative economic impact the long term environmental benefits are significant.
Electric and hybrid investment
Attend any international trade fair in China and you will see major exhibitions of electric cars and buses. Cities such as Changchun have a stated objective to buy 4,000 new electric buses over the next 5 years. Similarly the China Investors Club has weekly demands from Chinese manufacturers and intermediaries asking for advice on UK battery technology that is available for licensing or acquisition. Before too long we expect that major cities in the north east of China will implement an electric-only car policy to further help pollution.
More still to do
Domestic heating is still one of the main areas to be addressed. Centralised coal fired heating systems in the North of China are active on 15th November each year. This causes instant heavy pollution. If China was to adopt domestic high efficiency boilers for each residence then energy consumption and pollution would reduce. This is certainly an opportunity for UK firms engaged in manufacture of domestic boilers to find Chinese partners and be early entrants to this new market.
What next?
Cast forward 5 years and one can visualise a significantly cleaner environment than we have today. It is quite feasible that despite the population density in the north east of China that the air could be cleaner than London. Once this happens, what is the next thing that observers from the West will focus on? What do you think?