Interventions
Since 1949 the Communist Party of China has shaped the economy of China through the plenary sessions of the Central Committee and national congresses. The Party plays a leading role in establishing the foundations and principles of Chinese socialism, mapping strategies for economic development, setting growth targets, and launching reforms. In 1953, the government started a project called The Five Year Plans, which is a series of social and economic development initiatives.
Currently, the country is going through its 13th Five year Plan (2016-2020) and these are the proposals of the project:
#14
#17
#18
and
#19​​
Are all related to a sustainable development considering environmental factors!
Initiatives involved directly with Renewable Energy:
Three Gorges Dam
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The Three Gorges Dam is the world's largest dam. It generates 98.8 terawatt-hours of energy - a world record high. It’s one of China's main generators of hydroelectric power. Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by water flowing through turbines. Hydroelectricity counts for 20% of China’s total electricity generated. Although it is more sustainable than using coal, it still affects the local environment negatively.
Solar Panel Farms
China has over four million solar panels within the country. Solar power is harnessing the energy of the sun’s light to create usable electricity in a clean and sustainable way. In 2018, China produced 174 GW of energy in solar panels alone. China has actively taken over land previously used for coal mining (known as “brown fields”) and installed farms full of solar panels.
Anti-Smog Tower
In 2015 China first introduced the 23-foot-tall metal object: it was a vacuum. The Anti-Smog Towers, or “smog vacuums”, take in particulate-laden air to filter and help clean up the air in urban environments. Since their release, many more have been created to help remove the smog from the air. The towers can clean up 30,000 cubic meters of air an hour. Though it is a good solution to get rid of the smog problem at hand in cities, it’s not an effective long-term solution.
Fines
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The Chinese government currently has fines in place to regulate companies that pollute the air (such as burning coal and producing carbon emissions). However, the fines are so minimal that companies that pollute the environment would rather just pay the small fine rather than switch to a cleaner energy source, since using coal is cheaper and easier than the alternative methods.
Wind Turbines
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Wind turbines are large fan-like turbines that generate energy as the wind moves past them. There are over 92,000 wind turbines in China that are capable of creating 145 gigawatts of electricity. Wind power only counts for about 4 percent of China’s total electricity made in its country, but there are plans to build more wind turbines in the coming years.
