By Jonas Törnblom
China has achieved a significant amount in only a few decades, more than any other country in history; however the challenges the country faces today with regards to improving its sustainability credentials will not be met by big commitments, big technology and big sums of money alone. In this article, Jonas Törnblom discusses how China must boost its social sustainability in order to meet its carbon reduction target.
China’s battle against climate change has arguably never been as prominent as it is now, following the announcement that it has pledged to lower carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product by 60-65% from the 2005 level by 2030.
As the world’s largest generator of greenhouse gases, responsible for 25.9 percent of the world’s total carbon dioxide emissions in 2012, China’s latest commitment will be welcomed globally as it sets out to boost its green economy, improve industrial infrastructure and support low-carbon energy consumption.
However China’s ambitions aside, this is undeniably a substantial target and one that will compete with the country’s growing rate of urbanisation. Let us not forget that a study conducted by the Global Burden of Disease Study estimated that air pollution contributed to 1.2 million premature deaths in 2010. With one billion people expected to live in China’s cities by 2030, we can perhaps assume that the level of pollution-related health problems will only increase. Of course, the transition to non-fossil based fuels in line with China’s targets will, in itself, reduce pollution however when taking into account the country’s relentless urbanisation boom there is still a lot to offset in order to ensure that these targets are achieved.
My view is that China’s renewed commitments are bold, extremely positive and highlight how the country is committed to limiting its negative environmental impact. However more must be achieved if the country is to successfully offset its rate of urbanisation and meet its stated carbon reduction targets.
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Making Sustainability Inclusive, not Exclusive
With over 80 percent* of all cities at prefecture level including an eco city development in the pipeline, China’s eco-city programme is certainly booming. Whilst this sounds high, it still leaves a raft of developments that fall outside of the “eco” bracket. And we must also remember that many of China’s eco-cities are still conceptual, existing as a series of proposals and designs, as opposed to being fully built out developments.
Yes, China appears to have taken control of a situation that, left unattended, would have catastrophic consequences. However, having been involved in over 30 large-scale urban development projects throughout China through the implementation of Envac’s underground vacuum waste collection technology, I believe that the challenges the country faces lie not only in aligning its ambitions with reality or the limitations of modern technology. My view is that the biggest barrier will be China’s governance process.
A Collaborative Approach and Scandinavia’s Sustainable Ascent
The decision-making structures in China, like in many other parts of the world, are vertical with little room for cross-fertilisation between sectors, authorities and organisations. This silo-mentality is arguably effective in projects with low levels of complexity and that have well defined objectives. In today’s world, however, levels of complexity grow by the day, as more and more organisations are required to feed into a project in order to meet the end goal.
New technologies emerge on a continual basis, political agendas change and the voices from a wider demographic need to be taken into account. Environmental, economical and social issues now play a much larger role in urban development than ever before. At the same time there is more pressure on projects to become economically sustainable and commercially successful. These new pressures require a new method of working: a method that is inclusive and cooperative, innovative and explorative and underpinned by the trust and confidence of all of its participants. Many countries have already realised this, with those in Scandinavia being a prime example.
The Scandinavian approach to managing complex urban development or environmental projects differs from most other parts of the world in that it is more inclusive and collaborative. It is based on a process management philosophy that identifies overall goals based on input from all stakeholders and “end users” and then formulates this into an integrated action plan with open and interactive meetings that aim to fine tune the plan as it evolves. This management philosophy is sometimes referred to as Public Eco Governance.
Not only has this approach, which is aligned with social sustainability, underpinned sustainable development in Scandinavia over recent decades but it also spurs innovation and new ideas on a continual basis by providing an open platform from which those involved can share knowledge and competencies across different disciplines and departments, with the ultimate goal of using this knowledge to affect positive environmental change.
In most respects Sweden and China are worlds apart, not least in size, however there are a number of similarities. For example, in the period after the Second World War right up until the early 1980s, Sweden was the fastest growing economy in the world after Japan. Between 1965 and 1974 it had one of the most intense urbanisation programs in the western world. During these 10 years, one million new homes were built for a population of eight million people, which represents over double the rate of China’s urbanisation today.
Initially, this rapid period of industrialisation and urbanisation took its toll on the environment with Sweden being the most oil dependent industrialised country in the world in the early 1980s. However things have since changed and today, 51 percent of all Sweden’s energy is renewable. Locally produced biofuel is the single largest source of energy, constituting 34 percent of Sweden’s energy mix. Furthermore, 25 percent of North America and Europe’s geothermal storage capacity is in Sweden. Not only that but the water in central Stockholm is so clean that you can drink it, swim in it and eat the fish from it. Sweden was also recently internationally acknowledged for recycling 99 percent of its waste, an area that Envac has significantly contributed to since its underground automated vacuum waste collection technology was invented in 1961.
Addressing Social Sustainability through Public Eco Governance
So, how did this radical switch from oil dependency to sustainability trailblazer occur? Were these massive improvements in the environmental status of the country due to some new technological breakthrough? Whilst technology, and Sweden’s open approach to adopting it, has undeniably been a factor, it was mainly down to the Public Eco Governance model, which has facilitated a holistic approach to society’s environmental challenges by taking into account the social and cultural aspects of environmental change, whilst focusing on finding synergic solutions. Three of the world’s most renowned sustainable urban developments visited by ten thousands international experts every year, in Stockholm and Malmo, are excellent examples of Swedish Public Eco Governance.
As I’ve touched on in previous articles, sustainability is so much more than just the environmental aspects. Indeed, the three building blocks of sustainability in its truest sense incorporate the environmental, the economic and the social factors. China has now addressed the first two components and will work towards meeting its objectives; the question now is how will it address the third, and arguably most important, element: social sustainability. After all, the principles of Eco Governance are also aligned with those of social sustainability.
Similar to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, in which self-actualisation sits at the top of the pyramid, social sustainability sits atop the sustainability pyramid. As evidenced by the country’s recent announcement, China is committed to meeting its environmental and economic challenges head on. The challenge it now faces is whether it can meet its social obligations, too.
China has achieved a significant amount in only a few decades, more than any other country in history; however the challenges the country faces today with regards to improving its sustainability credentials will not be met by big commitments, big technology and big sums of money alone. For China to truly succeed in the realms of resource efficiency and sustainability it must adopt a more collaborative approach; one that mirrors the Public Eco Governance model and the accomplishments that Scandinavia has achieved over the years as a result of adopting it.
Countries around the world have a lot to learn from China and the huge success attributable to the rapidly developing nation. However when it comes to green, smart and social development, Sweden and other Nordic countries can possibly offer some modest inspiration.
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About the Author
Jonas Törnblom is Senior Vice President at Envac AB, where he has been since 2001. An environmental industry innovator, thought leader and driver for change, Jonas has built a reputation as a champion of sustainability within the built environment. Jonas has chaired the Swedish Environmental Technology Network’s steering committee, helped to develop the SymbioCity concept, and recently initiated the Sweden China GreenTech Alliance.
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