Sponsored by Duke Kunshan University
What do the state of California and China have in common? You might not think a lot, but the US state and Asian superpower actually both have the resources, talent and resolve to tackle prescient environmental challenges. There’s currently a vacancy for global leadership in environmental policy, and China’s filling it.
The observed adverse effects of temperature rise and precipitation changes have made the Asian leader all too conscious that climate change is no hoax. Indeed, at the same time the US were threatening to pull out of the Paris Agreement in June, Beijing made clear its intention to be at the forefront of any global environmental initiatives.
If you want to make a difference and help the world resolve key challenges, there’s a chance you’ve already considered careers in environmental policy, but here’s why China specifically should be on your radar.
China’s made huge strides in environmental policy
As much as 30 percent of China’s aluminum smelting capacity could be closed every year in an effort to reduce what many call “the airpocalypse”, while coal consumption dipped by 4.7 percent last year.
The government has taken stringent measures to, in the words of Li Keqiang, “make our skies blue again”, including clamping down on factories that fail to meet tighter environmental standards, and investing over US$60 billion to develop reforestation. The country is also artificially breeding 230 endangered species to maintain stable population levels.
The Chinese government has also invested in eco-friendly businesses. Air pollution kills approximately 1.1 million people each year in the country, so it’s no wonder sustainability features high up in President Xi Jinping’s agenda.
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