China — Green on an unimaginable scale

Abstract

China is one of the biggest economies in the world, and is set to become the biggest in the next two to three decades. Given its economic prowess, it could also become the world’s biggest green market. It invested nearly twice as much as the United States last year in renewable energy, and has promised generous subsidies and incentives to companies active in making mass electric vehicles (EVs) and e-vehicle infrastructure. Since its value chains are highly underdeveloped there is great opportunity for improvement here. There is lots of business to be made in making its buildings more environmentally friendly too. To make good on its pledge of becoming more sustainable, the country has to ditch the central role it preserves for coal – the dirtiest fossil fuel in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.