Low-carbon lives promote green agenda

The younger generation is at the forefront of activity to slow the pace of climate change. Yang Wanli reports.

Low-carbon lifestyles are an emerging trend among young Chinese, according to recent surveys.

They reveal that many college students are interested in environmental protection activities, and they also express a strong willingness to change their lifestyles to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

According to a survey released last month, 97 percent of college students support low-carbon lifestyles.

It said that not wasting food, limiting energy consumption and opting to use public transportation rather than cars are the top three choices among young Chinese.

The survey, conducted by Xiaomei, a campus media association with more than 60 member colleges nationwide, showed that about 95 percent of college students are willing to participate in environmental protection activities, while 81 percent said they would reduce unnecessary consumption to promote a low-carbon lifestyle.

About 70 percent of the students said that to reduce carbon levels they would extend the life spans of daily necessities, while more than half said they would choose products with smaller carbon footprints－such as those made from recyclable materials－and improve waste recycling rates.

"Reducing carbon dioxide emission levels will help conserve the Earth's environment, which in turn will better sustain all forms of life on it. Now, leading a green life has become a fashionable activity among young Chinese," said Li Zhuo, a junior student at Wuhan University in the capital of the central province of Hubei.

In addition to joining the school's"Clean Your Plate" campaign, Li said he has joined students' organizations that provide guidance on waste sorting in a number of residential communities at weekends.

He has also explored more ways of reducing his consumption of chemicals and plastic products. For example, he has recycled paper boxes to make mini-closets and trash cans, and he has also collected fruit peels and made them into enzyme-based dish-washing detergents.

"In China, the'low-carbon' slogan can be seen everywhere－in subway stations, cinemas, canteens and other public places－so the concept is widely known in the country," Li said.

"I think young people enjoy several advantages when pioneering green campaigns as they are innovative and always happy to learn new things."

Governance, guidance

As the world's largest developing country, China has been an active participant in global climate governance. In 2009, the country announced a target to reduce carbon intensity－emissions per unit of GDP－by 40 to 45 percent of the 2005 level by 2020.

In 2019, a report released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment showed a 45.8 percent fall in the country's carbon intensity by 2018 (from the 2005 level), meaning it had fulfilled its commitment ahead of schedule.

During the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, ecological civilization－a concept that stresses the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature－was included in the country's overall development plan.

Since then, the green development philosophy has been implemented fully in the country's socioeconomic development.

The younger generation is making efforts to achieve the goal every day.

According to a survey conducted last year by news portal DT Finance and Cainiao, a leading logistics company, more than half of Chinese ages 18 to 30 preferred to purchase brands that promoted a green lifestyle.

Also, more than 70 percent of young people said they used products made from recyclable materials or had minimized the use of non-recyclable products by methods such as bringing their own cups to coffee shops.

There is also a booming trend among young people to use the digital yuan, which has been issued by the People's Bank of China as a low-carbon currency that supports both online and offline payments and does not require users to have a bank account.

According to the PBOC, by Dec 31, there had been more than 8 million digital yuan pilots, covering such topics as living expenses, catering services, transportation and government services.

Also, more than 260 million personal wallets had been opened.

Wu Xuan, 23, who works for an online games company in Beijing, opened his personal digital yuan wallet in October.

His move came after bike-sharing app Meituan－which he uses regularly－started distributing digital yuan red packets worth 10 yuan ($1.50) in September as a way of paying for the platform's services.

Since he started using the digital yuan, Wu has noticed that many platforms have adopted the payment service, and they have also used a range of promotions to encourage people to try this green initiative.

For example, he said subway passengers in Beijing can now use the digital currency to buy tickets and all-purpose cards, and top up these cards across the network.

"Sometimes, replenishing your account will result in fare discounts," he said.

"The environmental awareness of ordinary people is one of the key factors for the success of society in terms of a low-carbon environment. Such convenient and safe payment helps raise our awareness and participation in the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions."

'No waste city'

To fulfill its commitment to fight climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions, China has introduced an ambitious"no waste city" pilot plan. Initiated in 2019, it aims to minimize solid-waste generation and maximize recycling in urban areas.

Specific practices include minimization of the use of landfills as part of efforts to reduce the environmental impact of waste. Moreover, the results of a 10-city pilot program that ended last year will be used to help guide future expansion of the initiative.

Sun Fengran, who works for an environmental consultancy in Guangzhou, capital of the southern province of Guangdong, and her boyfriend have been committed to a"zero waste" lifestyle for more than a year.

The 25-year-old said minimizing their carbon footprint has saved them a lot of money and brought them great happiness.

"It's important to make a plan. First, we cut our budget for new clothes and reduced consumption of other new things. Then, we decided to cook for ourselves or eat at restaurants instead of ordering in meals," she said.

For the things she really cannot do without, Sun said she turns to secondhand options online."This is also a way to extend the life of products. The most sustainable way is to make the best use of everything," she added.

Wang Wen, secretary-general of the Green Finance Committee at the China Finance Society, said the country's goals of achieving peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060－as announced by President Xi Jinping－will bring many opportunities for the younger generation.

"China may witness dramatic changes, perhaps even greater than those in the 1980s when the country implemented the reform and opening-up policy," he said.

"There will be enormous opportunities for young people, as they are more innovative and hold great potential to provide new solutions. They are the generation that will produce green miracles."