Environmental Protection andSustainable Development
in China

Prof. QIAN, Yi
Tsinghua University， China

Outline Current status and challenges
 Efforts made for sustainable

development
Cleaner production
Circular economy
 Measures for promoting sustainable
development

Comparison of Natural resources
available for per capita
in China and the world
 Water Arable land
 Petroleum
 Natural gas
 Copper Aluminum

25%
<40%
8.3%
4.1%
25.5%
9.7%

Inherent Shortage of Natural Environment
52％ of arid andsemi-arid area

Loess Plateau
0.64 Million Km 2

2 million Km2

Karst area

Tibet Plateau

0.9 Million Km 2Environmental Problems appeared in different
periods of 20 century in developed countries
concentrated in China in recent 20 years
1900

1940

Domesticwastewater

Smoke pollution

2000

1980
GHG
Heavy Metals

Organic Pollutants

Nutrients

Nuclear pollution

POPs

Secondarypollution

In 2005, Among 340 cities monitored, more than 66％ cities
can not meet the air quality standard for healthy living ofpeople.
Grade三级 3
35.0%

Grade2
二级30.6%

劣三 3>Grade级
31.2%>Grade劣三级 3
32.1%

Grade 1一级3.2%
Grade三级341.8%

Ratio of citiesmeeting air quality
standard达标
Grade 1&2
26.1%

Ratio of population

73.9%of the population in cities are living in unqualified
air quality condition.

Water Quality Classificationof
7 major river basins in 2006
I – III
IV- V>V

40％
32％
28%

60％of monitored sections can not meetstandard for drinking water resource’s quality.

Increased Solid Wastes
zDomestic solid wastes
zIndustrial solid wastes
zHazardous wastes
zMedical wastes

Chemical wastes
zLack of safety

treatment anddisposal facilities
Medical wastes

Urbanization in China
Prediction: GDP per capita will be US$2800 andurbanization rate will be 60% in 2020;
From 2002 to 2020, about 290 million people move to cities
9000

45
城市化率
Urbanization

7000
6000

35

5000
4000

30

3000
2000

2510002001985

1987

1989

1991

Area 104Km
Population
MillionLand area per capita
M2
Arabic land per capita
M2

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

China
960
1307

USA
930
296

7326

31300

732.6

6261

人均GDP(元)

城市化率(%)

40

8000

人均GDP
GDP
per capita

Growth creates
Resources and environmental risks...
…but also opportunities for innovation
and reformation.

Key issues:
increasing resources productivity;
Changing development pattern.

Strategic Change in China
1978 - 1992
 1978,“Open Door Policy” being
adapted, the reform in agriculture andtown & village industrial development
initiated the “China Miracle”;
 Environmental law system was built inthis period and began to work forcontrolling environment pollution andprotecting the nature.

Implementation of Sustainable
Development strategy (1993 - 2001)
 1992:

Adapted sustainable
development strategy
 1994: Agenda 21 for China issued
 promoting Cleaner Production
 Environment pollution has been
controlled to some extent, but rapid
industrialization & urbanization
compromise the efforts, the situation
was still serious.

New progress for development(2002 --- )Key issues:
Change of production pattern
Change of consumption pattern
Goals:
to build a resources conservationand environmental friendly society

Cleaner Production
 the continues application of an integrated

preventive strategy
 applied to products, production and service
 for maximizing utilization efficiency ofresources and minimizing waste discharge may reduce risks to human andenvironment and increases economicbenefits.

Ways of Cleaner Production
Implementation
 Management practices or housekeeping Recycling within processes Feedstock substitution
 Equipment replacement or modifications
 Process modification
 Product reformulation and eco-design

alternations

Efforts made in Implementing CPin China (1)1980-1993
 Low waste and non waste process; Process control of waste discharge;
 Action plan of CP , NEPA;
 International conference on CP, 1992.

Efforts made in Implementing CP
in China (2)1993-1999
 Second conference on industrial pollution
control took CP as the priority;
 Agenda 21 adapted CP as an importantmeasure; A series of demonstration projects carried out
with the help of UNEP, WB and other countries.

Efforts made in Implementing CP
in China (3)1999-present
 CCICED (China Council for International Cooperation on

Environment and Development) formed CP working group; To promote CP has been addressed by the Prime Ministerin the State Report in 1999;
 Demonstration projects on CP have been carried out in 10cities and 5 industrial sectors ; Law on Promoting Cleaner Production has been issued

and put into effect on 1 Jan. 2003.

Economic and Environmental Benefits
Lower Energy Bills
Lower Water Bills
Cost Savings from lowering
Waste Volume
Raw Materials
O&M Costs
Transportation Costs
Reduction of Pollutant Emission

Circular Economy is the solution: anintegrated and innovative approach
LinearMaterial Flow

Circular Economy
Reuse
ReduceReduceEnergyEnergyResources

ProductionProducts
Consumpution
Process

WastesResources

Production Products
Consumption

Recycle

Reuse

WA
S
T
E
S

“3R” Principles of Circular
EconomyReduceReuse

RecycleInput

Process

OutputReduce is the priority
Non-toxic and non-hazardous effects

Circular Economy at Three Levels
 Inside factories or enterprises----Cleaner production；
 A set of factories or enterprises---Eco-Industrial Park； Production and consumption---Recycling oriented society

National Demo EIPs Approved
by SEPAThree cycles in Iron and steel complex
 Emissions -----electricity production
 Wastewaters ------recycling Solid wastes ------producing cement andother products

Experiences in Guiyang City：Build Eco-city
through The Implementation of Circular
Economy Phosphorus industry
Industry Aluminum industry
 Chinese herbs

AgricultureMaterialEnergy

Urban
Infrastructure

Solid Waste

 Coal- chemicalindustry
 Eco-agriculture
Building
 Urban infrastructure Green tourism
NaturalEnvironment
habitats  Green Consumption

ProcessingWaterServicesEcology

Jiangsu Province Circular Economy
To change industrial development pattern
Policy for supporting Eco-industries
Government - Enterprises – Public partnerships

CE practice in Shanghai（1）Eco-agriculture（2）Recycle and reuse industrial wastes（3）Recycle and reuse municipal garbage(4）Recycle and reuse construction wastes（5）Minimization of package（6）Development of secondary products
market（7）Recycle and reuse wasted automobiles（8）Laws and regulations on CE（9）Study on foreign experiencesTargets of 11th Five-Year Plan(2006-2010)
 GDP growth rate

+7.5% per year Energy consumption per unit GDP -20%
 COD Emission-10%
 SO2 Emission-10%
 Renewable energy up to 15% by 2020

Circular economy is challenging butfeasibleLess resources intensive economic growth: decouple
resource input with economic growthHarmonize development and environment for asustainable future

Make resources supply more secure and safer

Better pricing and taxation to balance supply anddemand

The circular economy
essentials
Commitment: strong, effective, timely decision-making

Integration: resource with agriculture, industry,environment, housing, transportation etcComprehensiveness: all sectors, all needs, all supply links



Coordination: horizontally in the central government,
vertically with provincesEnforcement: to ensure national objectives are achieved

Continuity: sustainability is a long term project; it must be
embodied in lawConclusions
 Circular economy is the new pattern

towards sustainable development in China.
 There is long way to go for building a
resources conservation and environmental
friendly society in China.
 There is urgent need for study andapplication of industrial ecology in China.

Thank you ！