Chapter 3: The Chinese Eco-Cities
3.2 Chinese Eco-Cities: An Overview
國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
3.2 Chinese Eco-Cities: An Overview
The new national guideline of the ‘12th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development’ was passed by China’s National People’s Congress in March 2011, setting up the coming long-term policies and directives. This new plan emphasizes a higher concentration on the decrease of CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 17 percent for 2015 and also lowering of energy intensity (per unit of GDP) by 16 percent until the same year.61 Furthermore China’s long term plans include a reduction of carbon intensity of about 40 to 45 percent in the year 2020 (compared to 2005).62 Additionally the Chinese government is following a new strategic policy for their key industries, replacing old, reputed
“pillar industries” with new “strategic and emerging” industries.
Table 1 China's New Strategy for Emerging Industries
Source: 國務院通過加快培育和發展戰略性新興產業的決定 (“Decision on speeding up the cultivation and development of emerging strategic industries”)63
Even though these changes are just a guideline and do not comprise any specific obligatory measurements, still they demonstrate China’s recognition of the current (environmental) problems, as well as an orientation towards a more
61 Baeumler, Sustainable Low-Carbon City Development in China, xx.
62 KPMG China. “China's 12th Five-Year Plan: Energy - April 2011.”.
http://www.kpmg.com/CN/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/China-12th-Five-Year-Plan-Energy-201104.pdf (accessed June 1, 2014).
63 Guowuyuan tongguo jiakua peiyu he fazhan zhenglve xinxingchanye de jueding 國務院通過加快培育和發 展戰略性新興產業的決定 [Decision on speeding up the cultivation and development of emerging strategic industries]. 2010. http://www.gov.cn/ldhd/2010-09/08/content_1698604.htm (accessed May 23, 2014).
Lewis, Joanna. “Energy and Climate Goals of China's 12th Five-Year Plan.”.
http://www.c2es.org/international/key-country-policies/china/energy-climate-goals-twelfth-five-year-plan (accessed June 1, 2014), 3.
‧
國立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
sustainable and eco-friendly strategy. Three of the 7 “new” industries are connected to environmental protection, energy-saving, renewable energies and clean energy vehicles. These industries have been coexisting beside the “old magic seven” (old pillar industries), but the government hasn’t paid so much attention to this area and their promotion until recent years.
Cities play a big role in the relevance of meeting environmental protection targets, especially in China. The cities are attracting about 13 million people to move from the rural areas into the urban regions. This huge migration puts a lot of pressure on supply systems for cities. Waste disposal, water, energy food and infrastructure all have to fit and be extended in order to manage all those demands.64
It’s important to evaluate goals and realistic achievements of indicators’
objectives of different eco-cities (in China). Furthermore the self-set targets have to be analyzed whether or not they are fulfilled planned standards and establish an indicator system that can be transferred on a national or international scale. A strict comparison solely to international (green) cities might set a high standard which might be unrealistic to meet or isolate the future plans only to a certain area, making the project very limited to a wider scope in terms of transferability, modifiability or outstanding performance.65
The following presentation of current projects of eco-cities in China doesn’t concentrate on whether or not one city’s approach and procedure and strategy are superior to another’s but rather to have an overview, which makes it possible to draw and outline shared characteristics and commonalities.
64 Baeumler, Sustainable Low-Carbon City Development in China, xl.
65 Due to the fact that it might be forgotten very fast because it’s incomparable to other cities in China, lessen competitiveness on a national scale, comparable to an exclusive status which makes it
uninteresting for other areas.
‧
國立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
The Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MoHURD) have developed national guidelines and standards in order to get approved as an eco-city. Whereas the characteristics of Garden cities, which were already introduced and standardized in China in 1992, focus more on the expanse of green areas and landscapes, the Eco-Garden cities requirements have to meet stricter controls on air pollution, infrastructure, waste disposal and energy efficiency etc.66 Eco-city requirements introduced in 1997 by the MEP are based on a number of 26 indicators, including “socioeconomic development, environmental quality, environmental infrastructure, and environmental management”67. The revision of those requirements every three year helps to adjust and regulate higher standards for water and energy consumption and emissions control and limitation.68
There might be some confusion, because according to the official MEP standards and requirements a city first has to be qualified as a National Environment Protection Model City69 in order to attain the status of an Eco-city.
Yet indications are still imprecise and only limited to some areas, excluding other important factors which might be involved in defining new trends towards
‘low-carbon cities’70 in China. MoHURD may take this as an opportunity to put more pressure on following mitigation targets of climate change and on lowering pollutant emissions.
66 Baeumler, Axel et al. “Eco-Cities and Low-Carbon Cities: The China Context and Global Perspectives.” In Sustainable Low-Carbon City Development in China. Edited by Axel Baeumler, Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez and Shomik Mehndiratta, 33–62. The World Bank, 2012, 36.
67 ibid 36
68 Baeumler, Axel et al. Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City (SSTEC): A case study of an emerging eco-city in China. Working Paper no. 59012. Washington D.C, 2009, 4.
69 Economy, Elizabeth. “Environmental Governance: The Emerging Economic Dimension.” Environmental Politics 2006, 15:2: 171–189, 175.
70 Low-carbon cities: Carbon is sometimes used as abbreviated form for all greenhouse gases.
‧
國立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
For the purpose of putting forward efforts in environmentally protective constructions and ideas the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the MoHURD started pilot projects on low-carbon and city development, combining development goals of ecological cities with an emphasis on objectives such as “low-carbon technology innovation, … industries that are less carbon intense, … adoption of a low-carbon lifestyle”
plus 71.
Since the initiation of the phase thirteen pilot projects, cities and districts have been launched, including Caofeidian International Eco-City, Shenzhen as well as Dongguan city (eco-industrial Park) in Guangdong province, and the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City. Most eco-cities and low-carbon cities are still under construction. Smaller eco districts or communities already have been finalized, but bigger projects have only been partially realized.
3.2.1 Dongtan Eco-city
Started in 2005, Dongtan Eco-City located on an island close to Shanghai was a prestige object, announced as the first eco-city worldwide (due to the fact that it was supposed to be a new-city construction) with the targets of 100 percent use of renewable energy, self-sufficiency, and reduction in energy consumption by 66 percent compared to Shanghai. Planning estimated a population of about 500,000 inhabitants. Furthermore the project was built as the world’s first zero-carbon emission eco-city, notwithstanding the project has stood still since 2009, when the first and only bridge was constructed to connect the island to Shanghai. The construction side which consists of 10 wind turbines has been
71 Baeumler, Eco-Cities and Low-Carbon Cities, 40.
‧
國立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
disregarded after a corruption scandal.72 The project hasn’t officially been canceled, but there is no traceable reference towards the project73.
3.2.2 Rizhao
The city of Rizhao, a coastal city on the Shandong Peninsula in the Northern part of China didn’t directly start to build an eco-city, but rather followed a sustainable approach by switching to solar power to meet and satisfy the energy consumption in the city. About 99 percent of the households in the central districts and 30 percent in suburbs and villages use the energy of the sun for water heating, as well as lightning systems in the city; additionally 6000 households use photovoltaic power for cooking facilities. The local government’s policy and support were the main incentives in strengthening sustainable development.74 The technological processing of agricultural waste towards fuel as well as being categorized as one of the top 10 Chinese cities for air quality,75 and new construction projects with high environmental standards have shifted the former solar city towards an eco-city project.
3.2.3 Caofeidian International Eco-City
Caofeidian International Eco-City is a co-operation between China and Sweden in building a new eco-city with an expected extension of households for up to 1.5 million people. The planning area covers a region of 150 square kilometers, 21 of 100 projects already have been accomplished, e.g. infrastructure planning,
72 Hald, May. Sustainable urban development and Chinese eco-city: Concepts, strategies, policies and assessments. FNI report 5/2009. Lysaker: Fridtjof Nansen Institute, 2009, 48-53.
Cheng, Hefa, and Yuanan Hu. “Planning for sustainability in China's urban development: Status and
challenges for Dongtan eco-city project.” Journal of Environmental Monitoring 12, no. 1 (2010): 119–126.
73 No recent information towards newest construction plans or resumption of work available.
74 Bai, Xuemei. “Solar Powered City.” In State of the world 2007: Our urban future: a Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress Toward a Sustainable Society. Edited by Zoë Chafe and Linda Starke, 107–9.
New York [etc.]: Norton, 2007, 108-109.
75 Lye and Chen, Eco-cities in East Asia, 83.
‧
國立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
water supply, energy coverage. Approximately 800,000 residents will be living in the area in 2020. 76 The city has ambitious goals striving for an average utilization of public transportation of about 70 percent by 2015. Due to the genuine water deficiency, reclaimed water, desalinated water, and rain water will make up to 50 of the water supply and 100 percent of the waste water will be reused after treatment. The energy supply by renewable energy sources will account for more than 50 percent of energy production.77