The environmental sector is booming in China. Public authorities, companies and the population have become aware that the environmental cause is a major issue for the preservation of the planet and public health. China has committed to reaching its peak of CO2 emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 (the “double carbon objective”). On the international level, the Kyoto Protocol (1997), the Paris Agreements (2015) and the regular conferences of the parties, summits related to the environment, are multiplying, in order to protect the Earth before it is too late. . For its part, China was quick to plan the main axes of its environmental project, also a pillar sector of economic development.
A vital sector
Air, water, climate… For a long time, the preservation of the environment and sustainable development have been vital issues for society. In companies, associations, local authorities, many people now exercise a profession related to the environment. According to the China Environmental Industry Association, some local associations have worked with universities in Beijing, Hebei, Liaoning, Shandong, and other provinces to provide training courses in ecology and environmental protection. environment, recruiting a total of more than 100,000 university graduates since last year.
Zhang Qingyu is thrilled to have found a job with a company in this vital industry following graduating from Liaoning University in 2021. At first, she was preoccupied with her job, although she took classes in environmental sciences for four years. “In recent years, the environmental sector has been changing, offering more job opportunities. Companies in the sector have recruited many talents during the job fair at our university,” she told CHINAFRIQUE. Qingyu is right. In 2020, this sector of activity mobilized 3.2 million people, or 0.43% of the country’s assets, up 0.31 percentage points compared to 2011, according to the Sector Development Report of the Environment 2021 (hereinfollowing simply referred to as the report), published in early 2022.
The areas of environmental monitoring, wastewater management, waste management, and air are those that currently employ the most people, with the number of companies in these areas accounting for 91.6%. According to the report, the industry’s total revenue reached 1.95 trillion yuan ($290 billion) in 2020, up 7.3 percent from 2019.
Despite the COVID-19 epidemic, Jinzheng Eco-Technology, a company specializing in the treatment and recycling of wastewater, is operational. This year, it has been supplying its equipment for mining industry projects in Shandong and Anhui since March. In the first quarter, the company added contracts worth more than 200 million yuan ($29.76 million). “We actively respond to various national policies aimed at environmental protection, with better and lower cost products, technologies and solutions,” said Mu Yan, deputy general manager of the company.
In fact, the central government has issued more than 40 plans and programs related to ecological and environmental protection since 2021. Under the guidance of the “double carbon target”, the environment sector will play an additional role in economic growth. . The report shows that the direct contribution rate of the ecology and environment sector to the national economy is 4.5% in 2020, an increase of 3.35 percentage points compared to 2011.
Downstream of the environmental sector chain is the industrial sector. Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Informatization (MII), the Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance and three other ministries jointly issued an action plan for improving the efficiency energy in industry. Its energy consumption represents approximately 65% of the total consumption of the whole company, making it the key to energy savings. In recent years, energy efficiency in major industries such as iron and steel, non-ferrous metals, building materials, and petrochemicals has been significantly increased. According to IRM data, the output value of the energy saving and environmental protection industry has exceeded 8 trillion yuan ($1.19 trillion), with an annual growth rate of more than 10 %.
Innovation that matters
The environment sector is dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs that focus on niche markets have strong innovation capabilities. Mastery of key technologies is an important source of innovation for the sector.
A growing number of innovations strongly support the fight once morest pollution. Data from the China Environmental Industry Association shows that between 2011 and 2020, the number of patent applications for environmental technology inventions in China is nearly 60% of the world’s total, which makes it the most active country in terms of innovation in this field.
According to Zou Shoumin, director of the science, technology and finance department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), the introduction and reinvention of technologies have generated rapid development in the industry. A system covering water, air, soil, solid waste, monitoring and other segments has been created to tackle pollution in all areas.
In early May, a Shanxi low-carbon environmental protection industry group was formed. Shortly before, Shandong also formed an environmental protection group to play an important role in environmental governance at the provincial level. Local groups like this are gradually becoming the “new force” in the environmental sector.
“The ecological and environmental sector is facing new development opportunities during the XIV Five-Year Plan (2021-2025). During this period, environmental governance revenue is expected to increase at an average annual rate of regarding 10%, with the total revenue expected to exceed 3 trillion yuan ($446 billion) in 2025,” Lv Ben said. researcher at the MEE.
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