As the world grapples with achieving sustainable economic growth, China is successfully using technology to boost people’s livelihoods while also preserving the environment.
In this episode of the Art of Governance, CGTN’s Liu Xin is joined by Shanghai Daily’s Andy Boreham on a visit to the world’s largest solar plant in China’s Qinghai Province. Here, they discover how this unique project is not only putting money in local people’s pockets but also contributing to the area’s sustainable development.
Located in the windswept plains of the Talatan Gobi Desert, columns of solar panels stretch as far as the eye can see. But, look a little closer, and you will see thousands of sheep roaming and grazing freely amongst the metallic pillars and photovoltaic panels.
As with all great ideas, this one was born out of necessity. Desertification was threatening the livelihoods of local herdsmen as they were continuously forced to supplement their livestock’s feed amid declining fertile pastures. Cao Jun, an engineer at the Hainan Branch of Huanghe Corporation, explains that local herdsmen are granted free access to the site, with their sheep able to graze on the fresh grass sprouting up beneath the solar columns.
This vast solar jungle boasts a power generation capacity of 8.430 megawatts. Meanwhile, the water runoff from cleaning the panels creates fertile land for grass to grow and the sheep to graze naturally once again. This project ensures regular income for the herders and an abundance of food for their flock, all the while delivering clean energy to the nation’s energy grid.
Dimitri De Boer, Chief Representative for China at ClientEarth, believes this system is “perfect” as it sustains local livelihoods while also improving the area’s land quality. “There is no trade-off. It’s win-win for everybody,” he said.
Though the solar plant in Qinghai is monumental in scale, it is just one small example of the many innovative ways China is utilizing technology to advance economic development while protecting and caring for the environment.
“In China, you’re seeing how high-quality economic growth is firmly intertwined with sustainability,” De Boer added. “It’s tremendous to see how technological innovation and economic growth, and also sustainability, can really go hand in hand.”
Green development is a key part of the Chinese path to modernization. According to the 15th Five-Year Plan, China will advance the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality by coordinating actions to cut carbon emissions, reduce pollution, expand green capacity and promote growth.
China’s green development has not only helped to expand the greening of areas of its own land but also benefited the world at large. China supplies about 70% of the world’s wind power equipment and 80% of photovoltaic components, helping drive down the global cost of wind and solar power generation by more than 60% and 80% respectively.
As the 15th Five-Year Plan period begins, China will continue to pursue green development, work with all countries to preserve what gives our planet life, jointly address global climate challenges, protect the green Earth, and secure a cleaner and more beautiful world.
