On Monday, China’s Environmental Minister, Zhou Shengxian gave a blunt warning that the growth of the country is threatened by pollution. China is the world’s top emitter of greenhouse gases and has the second largest economy in the world making it the biggest polluter and consumer of resources. China uses coal to produce 70% of its energy needs and is becoming increasingly dependent on oil. Minister Zhou’s statements warned that unrestrained development would affect the country’s natural resources, such as water, air and soil, as well as hinder long-term economic growth and social stability. To check this development China will introduce a risk assessment system. The country will consider projected greenhouse gas emissions as part of evaluating proposed development projects, such as approving new factories. This is significant because past economic policies were hesitant to put environmental protection ahead of growth. While the proposed program is to cut energy use for each unit of economic growth, it still will not put caps on emission. This system may be a positive step towards the country’s role in fighting climate change and will be interesting to watch because past promises to curb environmental degradation failed to realize due to lack of will to enforce.
Highlighting the importance of the Minister’s announcements are recent reports on China’s environment finding 10% of domestic grown rice was contaminated with heavy metals and smog at dangerous levels in the capital city. In 2009 a study concluded that 20% of rivers and lakes monitored in China were polluted to such extent they were unfit for consumption, even to irrigate crops.
Minister Zhou stated, “The depletion, deterioration and exhaustion of resources and the deterioration of the environment have become serious bottlenecks constraining economic and social development.” The environmental protection theme will be a focus of the annual Parliament session to being on Saturday.
-Ashley Harvey, Legal Intern
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