PAGE CHINA NEWS FOR THE GREEN JOBS WORKING GROUP - AUGUST 2022
WHAT WE'RE READING
China
China Focus: China's conservation efforts contribute to climate mitigation
2022-08-22 Source: Xinhua
China's efforts in afforestation and nature conservation have substantially increased carbon storage, mitigating climate change in the first two decades of this century, according to an international research team.
From 2000 to 2020, the country's contribution to climate mitigation via Natural Climate Solutions (NCSs) amounted to 600 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents each year, offsetting 8 percent of the mean annual fossil CO2 emissions in the same period, according to a recent study published in the journal Nature Climate Change. China's contribution to the global greening trend comes significantly from its forest conservation and expansion initiatives, accounting for about 42 percent of the contribution to greening.
China issues sci-tech action plan to support carbon reduction
2022-08-19 Source: Xinhua
China has published an action plan from 2022 to 2030 on supporting the country's carbon reduction goal by science and technology measures. The action plan, compiled by nine central departments including the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Development and Reform Commission, proposed the sci-tech innovation actions and safeguard measures to support the goal of peaking carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and make research preparations for realizing carbon neutrality by 2060.
China witnessing strongest heat wave in six decades; long-lasting high temperatures to become new normal in the future: meteorologists
2022-08-15 Source: Global Times
As several regions in China are sweltering under temperatures above 40 C, the country's meteorological authorities have continued to issue high temperature alerts for 25 consecutive days, and meteorologists believe the summer of 2022 has witnessed the strongest heat wave in six decades. They also predicted the long-lasting heat wave will become a "new normal" in the future due to aggravating global warming.
Green passion fuels hydrogen energy industry across China
2022-08-06 Source: Xinhua
China, the world's largest hydrogen producer, is seeing gathering growth steam in its nascent hydrogen energy industry as local governments and companies race to seize emerging opportunities in the sector's catalytic role in empowering the country's green shift.
Hydrogen can only be generated by consuming primary energy such as coal, natural gas and renewable energy. China has an annual hydrogen production output of about 33 million tonnes, but most of the hydrogen comes from fossil fuels.
By 2025, the country will have about 50,000 fuel-cell vehicles and its annual hydrogen production from renewable energy will reach 100,000 to 200,000 tonnes, according to a plan jointly released by the National Development and Reform Commission, and the National Energy Administration (NEA) in March.
China calls for more green efforts from central SOEs
2022-08-04 Source: Xinhua
China has called on the country's centrally administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to further live up to their responsibilities in promoting energy conservation, and ecological and environmental protection.
Central SOEs' practices on the two fronts will be supervised and managed in a dynamic and categorized manner based on their industry, energy consumption, emission level of major pollutants, and impact on the ecological environment, according to a guideline unveiled on Wednesday by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) of the State Council.
China unveils plan to push green growth in industrial sector
2022-08-01 Source: Xinhua
China on Monday unveiled a plan to promote green growth in the industrial sector in a bid to help the country meet its carbon peak goal.
By 2025, the energy consumption per unit added value of industrial enterprises with an annual business turnover of at least 20 million yuan (about 2.96 million U.S. dollars) will decrease by
13.5 percent compared with 2020, according to a plan released by the country's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
By 2030, the proportion of vehicles powered by new energy and clean energy will reach about
40 percent of total new vehicles, and the carbon dioxide emission intensity of passenger cars and commercial vehicles will decrease by 25 percent and 20 percent respectively compared with 2020, according to the plan.
India
Energy conservation bill introduced in the parliament
2022-08-03 Source: The Hindu
Power Minister Mr. R.K. Singh introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha that seeks to make it mandatory for buildings with a minimum connected load of 100 kilowatt to meet their energy requirements from renewable sources. The bill has provisions to establish carbon markets and empower state electricity regulatory commissions to make regulations for a smooth discharge of its functions. The Bill also seeks to mandate the use of non-fossil fuels sources, including green hydrogen, green ammonia, biomass and ethanol for energy and feedstock. It also has provisions to slap penalties for non-compliance with the rules by industrial units or vessels, and on manufacturers if a vehicle failed to comply with fuel consumption norms.
India has solution to global warming, other environmental issues: PM Modi
2022-08-15 Source: The Print
Addressing the nation on the 76th Independence Day, he said India attracts the attention of the world when “we talk about lifestyle for environment”. “We know how to live in-sync with nature. We love nature. The environmental problems confronting the world today… We have a way to resolve the problem of global warming. Our ancestors have shown it to us,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi had proposed the one-word mass movement “LIFE” at the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow in November last year. Subsequently, he launched ‘Lifestyle for the Environment – LIFE Movement’ on June 5 this year.
Government notifies Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022
2022-08-25 Source: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Press Release
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India published the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 on 24th August, 2022 to ensure environmentally sound management of waste batteries. New rules will replace Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001. The rules cover all types of batteries, viz. Electric Vehicle batteries, portable batteries, automotive batteries and industrial batteries.
The rules function based on the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) where the producers (including importers) of batteries are responsible for collection and recycling/refurbishment of waste batteries and use of recovered materials from wastes into new batteries.
The rules promote setting up of new industries and entrepreneurship in collection and recycling/refurbishment of waste batteries. Mandating the minimum percentage of recovery of materials from waste batteries under the rules will bring new technologies and investment in recycling and refurbishment industry and create new business opportunities. Prescribing the use of certain amounts of recycled materials in the making of new batteries will reduce the dependency on new raw materials and save natural resources.
Indonesia
Indonesia mulls fuel price hike as subsidy budget triples
2022-08-16 Source: Channel News Asia
Indonesia needs to reduce its energy subsidy bill possibly with a fuel-price hike, but the government would need to time the latter carefully to avoid disrupting economic growth, President Joko Widodo said in an interview on Tuesday. The president had earlier proposed a
$206 billion budget for 2023 to parliament, which was slightly smaller than the budget for this year, due to the declining energy subsidy budget.
Indonesia's large subsidy bill has helped it keep inflation relatively low compared with more advanced economies, but the price disparity between subsidised and nonsubsidised fuels have driven a shift in consumption patterns. The financial note proposed to the parliament shows that the government is cutting the energy subsidy by 33 per cent next year while only assuming a 10 per cent drop in crude oil price.
Government formulates fuel subsidy adjustment scheme: Minister
2022-08-21 Source: Antara News
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment said the government is formulating a price adjustment scheme to reduce the burden of fuel subsidies and compensation in the state budget. The high price of world crude oil had pushed up the gap between the economic price and the selling price of subsidized fuel and had an impact on increasing budget needs to cover fuel subsidy. To date, the state budget for fuel related subsidy reaches Rp502 trillion. Without any policy adjustments, this figure could increase to more than Rp550 trillion by the end of the year.
Indonesia boosts social aid ahead of fuel price hike
2022-08-31 Source: Asia News Network
The government is set to roll out three social aid schemes worth US$1.62 billion (Rp 24.17 trillion) in a bid to strengthen people’s buying power amid the risk of inflationary pressure, as a result of an expected subsidized fuel price hike. Although it is still unclear when the subsidized fuel prices will be increased, Finance Minister explained the additional social aid fund was a part of the energy subsidy-diversion strategy, as instructed by President Joko Widodo.
The social assistance package would be divided into three types, namely direct cash transfers, wage subsidies and a regional transfer budget allocation for public transportation. All of the additional social aid would begin to be distributed this week and was expected to relieve pressure on the community and reduce poverty amid inflationary pressures.
Experts estimate that the fuel increase will lead to 3.6 percent inflation. Chairman of the economic policy analyst committee at the Indonesian Employers’ Association (APINDO), suggested the government hike the subsidized fuel price when inflation is more controlled at 3 percent but admitted that considering the current state budget conditions, subsidized fuel prices may increase in the fourth quarter this year.
Thailand
EGAT promotes BCG Economy: Bang Kruai Green Community Model for Low Carbon Society
2022-08-04 Source: EGAT
On August 3, 2022, Mr. Boonyanit Wongrukmit, Governor of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) joined the seminar of “TBCSD Using Research to Promote BCG Economy for Low Carbon Society” under the topic “Thai Business Sector and Promotion of Bio-Circular-Green Economy,” an event of Thailand Research Expo 2022 held on August 1-5, 2022 at the 22nd – 23rd Floors, Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld, Bangkok. Mr. Boonyanit Wongrukmit said that EGAT has placed importance on sustainable development by promoting the use of renewable energy and energy conservation to achieve EGAT Carbon Neutrality in 2050, which will mobilize Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy in every dimension with a concern on the balance between electricity generation cost, environmental impact, and electricity system security.
UN NEWS
UN spotlights ‘invisible’ value of groundwater during World Water Week
2022-08-25 Source: UN News
Groundwater, which sustains drinking water supplies, sanitation systems, farms, industries and ecosystems, is being overused, polluted and neglected, speakers warned at a World Water Week event on Thursday. “It is our duty to ensure groundwater has its rightful place in all of our action plans,” said Gilbert Houngbo, Chair of UN-Water, in his video message to an online session, titled “Groundwater: Making the invisible visible.”
Conference opens to draft first-ever treaty on ocean’s biological diversity
2022-08-15 Source: UN News
The intergovernmental conference to draft the first-ever treaty on the ocean’s biological diversity opened its fifth and likely final session on Monday.
Amidst calls for flexibility, openness and the spirit of compromise that prevailed in 1982, when the landmark “constitution for the oceans” was adopted, the new treaty will aim to address the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas of the ocean which are beyond the limits of States' maritime zones.
The session, which runs until 26 August, was convened following a decision taken by the General Assembly in May and is expected to be the final in a series set in motion since 2018 to draft an international legally binding instrument under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Heat, drought and wildfires during one of the warmest Julys on record– WMO
2022-08-09 Source: UN News
Amidst extreme heat, drought and wildfires, many parts of the world had just experienced one of three warmest Julys on record, the UN weather agency said on Tuesday.
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), temperatures were close to 0.4℃ above the 1991-2020 average across much of Europe, with southwestern and western Europe being the most above-average regions, because of an intense heatwave around mid-July.
In the throes of the heat, WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said in a press conference on
18 July, “this kind of heatwave is the new normal”.
Giraffes, parrots, and oak trees, among many species facing extinction
2022-08-07 Source: UN News
Around one million species are facing extinction, according to a report from IPBES, an independent intergovernmental science and policy body supported by the UN. It may be surprising to learn that even giraffes, parrots, and oak trees are included in the list of threatened species, as well as cacti and seaweed.
The report illustrates the importance of indigenous people being able to secure tenure rights over their land, as they have long understood the value of wild species and have learned how to use them sustainably. Examples of the kinds of transformative changes that are needed to reduce biodiversity loss, include an equitable distribution of costs and benefits, changes in social values, and effective governance systems.
Currently, governments around the world spend more than $500 billion every year in ways that harm biodiversity to support industries like fossil fuels, agriculture, and fisheries. Experts say these funds should be repurposed to incentivize regenerative agriculture, sustainable food systems, and nature-positive innovations.
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