China for a Global Shift

As China's economy continues to grow from domestic and international demand, more pressure is placed on the planet's resources. WWF is working with China to ensure that the country's development goes hand-in-hand with long-term sustainability and environmental protection.
 / ©: Michel GUNTHER / WWF-Canon
China's Yangtze River has served as a transportation and commercial thoroughfare for centuries.
© Michel GUNTHER / WWF-Canon

China has the opportunity to lead in a new direction by creating a development model that sustains natural systems, within the country and abroad, upon which all life depends.

James P. Leape, Director-General, WWF International

A shift to sustainability

Shifting China's development towards a more sustainable direction is key to reducing pressure on the environment.
With the acceleration of globalization, industrialization and urbanization, China’s production and consumption patterns are putting at risk the country’s as well as the world's ecosystems.

We live in a world where resources are limited and we are increasingly depleting them. Because of its size, growth and the opportunities it offers, a global change towards greener development is possible only if China is on board.

Taking the lead

China is in a strong position to become a global leader in sustainable development solutions.

WWF is working with China to promote sustainable international capital and trade flows between China and the rest of the world.

The overall goal is to facilitate the creation of a global model that places sustainability criteria at the centre of economic decision-making processes.

Focusing on key sectors, such as energy production, forestry and finance, WWF can support China in its efforts to achieve ambitious development goals while reducing its environmental impacts and protecting important ecosystems worldwide by:

  • Building political support to reduce the ecological footprint
  • Supporting sustainable finance
  • Driving responsible trade
  • Mainstreaming innovation and product efficiency
 / ©: Zhang Yifei / WWF-China
Active in the country since 1980, WWF was the first international conservation organization invited to work in China.
© Zhang Yifei / WWF-China

Contact

  • Claudia Delpero

    Advocacy and Communications Director

    WWF China Programme Office,
    Beijing

    +861065116227

China's ecological footprint

According to China Ecological Footprint Report 2010 – commissioned by WWF and the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) –  a world consuming resources and producing waste at Chinese levels for 2007 would need the equivalent of 1.2 planets to support its activities.

Although this is lower than the global average of 1.5 planets, as China's economy continues to grow it will be critically important to find ways to lighten its footprint.




Watch report on the release on the China Ecological Footprint Report 2010.
 / ©: WWF
China Ecological Footprint Report 2010
© WWF
Wood saving stove. / ©: WWF China
A Chinese woman cleans her new wood-saving stove. The stoves are designed to significantly reduce the amount of wood required for cooking, which in turn saves forests from being cut down.
© WWF China

2020 Goals

    • China's international trade and capital flows become a driving force in reducing the global ecological footprint.
    • China's domestic economic policy measures ensure clean, sustainable and resource efficient economic development.

Facts & Figures

    • China is the largest carbon emitter in the world, followed by the US and the EU.
    • On average, every Chinese citizen produces 4.58 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, compared to 19.1 tonnes for Americans and 9 tonnes for Europeans.
    • China is the world's leading renewable energy producer in terms of installed generating capacity.
    • China is the world’s largest solar PV manufacturer and has more than 60% of the globe’s solar water heaters.
    • About 40% of China's $586 billion economic stimulus package will go towards green investements.

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