Increasing environmental strains put China at crossroads on sustainable development: WWF report

China is placed at a crossroad in terms of its sustainable development as its huge and increasing demand for resources, amid its fast-paced urbanization, have been outpacing what its ecological system can provide, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said in a report Monday.

"The average Ecological Footprint per capita in China has recently crossed the threshold that is considered sustainable on an average global level," James Leape, director general of WWF International, said at the issuance of the report "China Ecological Footprint Report 2010".

Changing lifestyles and migration to cities associated with new economic opportunities are contributing to the increasing demand for resources and mounting impact on the natural environment, he said.

The report said the per capita Ecological Footprint of the average Chinese was 2.2 global hectares (gha) in 2007, higher than the available biological capacity per capita at 1.8 gha. However, this figure was lower than the global average level of 2.7 gha.

The Ecological Footprint measures whether a country, region or the world as a whole is living within its ecological means.

A world consuming resources and producing wastes at Chinese levels for 2007 would need the equivalent of 1.2 planets to support its activities, compared to 0.8 of a planet at 2003 Chinese consumption levels, the report said. It added that if global consumption patterns were the same as in the U.S., it would require 4.5 Earths to meet resource needs.

Further, the report said changes in individual consumption patterns have overtaken population to become the principal driver in the growth of China's total Ecological Footprint.

Today, China is at a stage of its rapid urbanization, with 46.6 percent of its 13 billion people living in urban areas by the end of 2009.

The findings also showed that in 2007 the carbon footprint accounted for 54 percent of China's Ecological Footprint. Household consumption data indicated that demand for buildings, transportation, goods and provision of public services are the major drivers of growth in the carbon footprint.

The challenge facing China today is that of decoupling economic development from growth in its Ecological Footprint, while leaving space for nature, the report said.

"Due to rapid social and economic development in recent years, environmental issues are increasingly becoming a bottleneck for future economic growth," said Zhu Guangyao, Secretary General of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.

"The next twenty years will be critical for China to realize sustainable development," he said.

The report "tells us that to achieve its goal of a harmonious society, China must find ways to grow its economy while protecting the natural systems," James Leape said.

China has introduced a group of measures on energy-saving and emission cuts, including shutting down outdated industrial capacity and limiting exports of energy-intensive and high polluting products.

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang said on Nov. 12 that China would accelerate economic restructuring and pursue a low-cost and sustainable development path featuring low carbon emissions. The government will also continue its efforts to save natural resources and protect the environment.

Further, Gao Guangsheng, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission, said on Nov. 11 that a significant reduction in energy consumption intensity and carbon emissions intensity is likely to be a binding goal in China's new five-year development program.

Source:Xinhua