Earlier this month – while Europe decided to keep the same unambitious targets – the People’s Republic of China decided in its 12th five-year plan to tackle even more environmental issues like water and air pollution.
As the BBC noted : ” China’s latest five-year plan for 2011 to 2015 seeks to achieve a more balanced approach to growth and development, focusing attention on the environment“
Of course, the situation there is much worse than here in the European Union but the first world energy consumer has recently shown its dedication to cleantech.
The BBC notes further :
A projected $600bn (£370bn) is committed to growing sectors such as information technology, clean energy, environmental protection and scientific research and innovation, for example.
But the Financial Times gives an interesting figure on the efforts as to them they would be equivalent to “moving the whole of Italy off fossil fuels.” Now this is some bold move !
The Agence France Presse clearly shows that the local government understood some key things. Indeed :
“We must not any longer sacrifice the environment for the sake of rapid growth and reckless roll-outs,” Premier Wen Jiabao said Sunday, warning that doing so would result in unsustainable growth and the depletion of resources.