Green Ideas from Other Parties

By staff reporters ZHANG HUA & JIAO FENG

Straw, an unwanted stuff in the past, has become a source of wealth for craftswomen. China Foto Press

CHINA has eight political parties in addition to the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) that participate in the managment of state affairs. They are the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, the China Democratic League, the China Democratic National Construction Association, the China Association for Promoting Democracy, the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, the China Zhi Gong (Public Interest) Party, the Jiu San (September 3) Society, and the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League.

The annual session of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is an important occasion for discussion and cooperation on major issues between delegates from all nine parties. The proposals made here are important references for China’s legislation and policies.

At this year’s CPPCC a great number of proposals were filed by non-Communist parties, which share concerns for environmental protection, climate change and sustainable, low-carbon development. Here are some of those proposals.

More Growth, Less Carbon

Global climate change poses a critical threat to China’s energy security and environment, both of which are key to fast, stable and healthy development of the nation’s economy and society. An expanding economy however always comes at the cost of more emissions of greenhouse gases.

To tackle this dilemma, the China Zhi Gong Party proposes:

First, ensure that the energy-saving and emission-reduction targets set in the 12th Five-year Plan (2011-2015) are implemented in various localities, particularly in the developed coastal areas of southern and eastern China. While continuing the campaign to close down polluting and energy-rapacious enterprises, many of which are small scale, local governments should also be cautious about projects requiring huge investment, which may not achieve payback for two or three decades and whose technical upgrades consume much time and money.

Second, establish a statistical and auditing system for greenhouse gas emissions. They should be calculated region by region to provide data for studying effective controls.

Third, launch and gradually improve state policies on construction of low-carbon cities and start experiments in some areas. Low-carbon development plans should be made on the basis of scientific research and analysis. The emphasis should be on exploring the emission-cutting potentials of new energies, energy-efficient buildings, public transport and green consumption.

Fourth, promote low-carbon industries and reduce the carbon footprint of conventional industries in tandem. Policies should be perfected to bring electricity from renewable resources into the power grid and out to consumers, to expand the domestic market for new energies and energy-frugal products; the commercialization, integration and scaling-up of low-carbon technologies should be encouraged. At the same time, traditional industries should further explore what they can do to reduce their energy consumption and emissions, and accelerate the application of carbon capture technologies.

Fifth, boost the growth of carbon sequestrating agriculture and eco-industries. China should increase the carbon sequestration capacity of biomass products through deeper utilization and recycling of agricultural and forestry waste. Innovations like straw compost, organic fertilizer and no-till technologies can significantly enhance the carbon sequestration capacity of soil. Carbon sequestrating agriculture will make up 30 percent or more of the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

Promote Low-carbon Industries

The global financial crisis has been a wake-up call for China to transform its economic growth pattern and to adjust its economic and energy structures. The sustainable development to which we aspire has to be based on a green and low-carbon economy.

With this knowledge, the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League made the following proposals:

First, establish a plan for the development of low-carbon industries as soon as possible. The plan should specify goals for each stage of development, the measures envisioned to reach them, the priority fields, and major projects.

Second, emphasis should be placed on the four issues of greatest public concern – air pollution, drinking water safety, new energies and eco-environments, and rural and urban infrastructure. Relevant measures to be taken include encouraging more use of public transport, setting strict rules on vehicle emissions, and promoting an energy management system in urban neighborhoods to collect carbon emission data.

Third, optimize the energy supply and consumption structure for greater diversity, security, cleanliness and higher efficiency by increasing the share of low-carbon energy sources. China should promote ground- and air-source heating and cooling, solar heating, and power generation from renewable resources such as wind, biomass and sunlight; build more power plants using garbage or landfill gas; extend green coverage and consequently carbon sequestration in cities; and increase the recycle rate of urban waste.

Fourth, establish a supportive financial system for the low-carbon economy, which should include such tools as bank loans, direct investment and financing, carbon credit trading and futures. China should cultivate a multi-layered market of carbon credit trading, moving up and away from the low end of the value chain in the global market and securing the largest strategic interest possible.

Stronger Incentives for Forestry

Forests are the anchor of an ecosystem, and their role in carbon sequestration is very important. The seventh national survey on China’s forest resources (2004-2008) found that forests totaled 195 million hectares, covering 20.36 percent of Chinese territory. Their growing stock stood at 13.72 billion cubic meters, and carbon storage 7.81 billion tons. The forest resources are however far from abundant when measured against the huge territory, and the forest ecosystem is still fragile.

In response to this situation the China Zhi Gong Party proposed greater inputs in forestry and major ecological projects, to increase afforestation subsidies and step up efforts to restore and sustain the ecosystem, mainly through planting more trees. The work should be accelerated to build shelter forests in the “three northern areas” (Northwest, Northeast and North China) and along the coast. And the nation should better manage its forests by providing stronger policies, technical and financial support for young forests and low-yield forests. A national plan for forest management should be formulated and strictly implemented, so that better management may lead to healthier forests and more carbon sequestration.

The Jiu San Society also called for greater investment in key ecological projects and better management of forests. In addition, it proposed the state should give the forestry administrations more clout, moving them up the government hierarchy, and allowing them all the resources needed to take up the daunting tasks confronting them.

Professionalization of Plant Protection

As the planet has warmed up and agricultural practices have undergone profound change, the world has seen a steady rise in the frequency of crop disease and insect infestation, posing a serious threat to agricultural production.

The Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party suggested that for the security of key crops such as grains and of the ecological environment at large, it is imperative to build a plant disease prevention and treatment system in which services are professional and well coordinated at both the regional and national levels. This system needs strong leadership that can ensure all preventive and remedial measures are implemented properly and in full. The state should expand investment into the system, setting aside special allowances, making preferential policies and encouraging social capital to invest in the professionalization of plant protection. Meanwhile the government should steer plant disease prevention and treatment organizations towards ordered, stable and healthy development, offering them more services and guidance and extending special assistance to those of decent size, good performance and standard-compliant management. Plant-disease prevention and treatment mechanisms should be designed to reflect local conditions.