the future of China’s bioenergy
As all of us know, China is currently in a phase of rapid industrialisation and integration into the world economy. But unfortunately this has come at a high price, putting great strain on the environment through extensive use of fossil fuels and other natural resources. The difference in living standards between urban and rural areas – and between the east and west of the country – has also widened, and unemployment is rising fast.
Many are concerned that China’s long-term prosperity could be harmed by increasing social inequality and conflicts resulting from environmental pressures and eco-system degradation.
Bioenergy development has become a top government priority, and China’s law on renewable energy (alternative energy, green energy) was implemented earlier (in January 2006).
The current focus is on electricity generation from surplus agricultural residues, which are estimated at 200 million tonnes yearly. The government has set up a long-term target of 30 gigawatts of electricity generated from biomass by 2020, which will require billions of US dollars in investment. And there is also a growing interest in the development of biofuels such as biodiesel and ethanol, intended to reduce oil imports, which currently account for more than 46% of China’s total oil supply – a major energy security concern for the government.
China needs to make a massive transition from traditional to modern uses of biomass as part of its strategy for sustainable rural development. This act of leapfrogging requires innovative policy support from the government.
It can benefit farmers by improving their health and living conditions, reduce fossil fuel use, create jobs and generate income. Today, most of the country’s agricultural residues are burnt in the fields, causing air pollution and wasting resources. In addition to other environmental and social benefits, the same amount of investment in household biomass utilisation as in biomass power plants could generate five to 10 times more local jobs for rural residents and five to nine times more income for small companies.
And Chinese government has so far paid scant attention to these issues, particularly on how to use biomass resources more efficiently. Strong policy incentives should be established to provide favourable conditions for investments from innovators and small enterprises involved in the social and technological transition towards sustainable rural development. These energy policies could also play a large role in mitigating climate change and moving China away from burning dirty coal.
Supporting household biomass use could ease the pressure on rapid urban development as rural communities start to improve in their living conditions.
At the international level, bio-energy has become a dynamic force. And governments, industry, aid agencies and private investors all seeing China as a “land of opportunity” for investment. By integrating greenhouse-gas emissions reduction with the sustainable development of rural energy systems, China can set an example for other biomass-rich developing countries as they strive for the combined benefits of social development and environmental protection
