China at forefront of global climate governance

THE northern Chinese city of Ordos, once thriving on the “black gold” of its vast coal reserves, is now emerging as an unlikely forerunner in China’s green transition, betting its future not on carbon but on green technology.

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At the heart of this shift lies a sprawling zero-carbon industrial park, where wind turbines and solar panels feed a smart grid that powers factories producing hydrogen equipment, photovoltaic devices and batteries for electric vehicles.

Operating on nearly 90% green electricity and recycling wastewater for use, the park has proven that sustainability can drive growth. Last year, its output value of new energy equipment manufacturing more than doubled to over 20 billion yuan (about R4.8 million).

The industrial park, alongside efforts to modernise the city’s coal-related industries, came under President Xi Jinping’s push to have resource-dependent regions reinvent their development models. During an inspection trip to Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2023, he urged the region to promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional energy sectors while vigorously developing green energy.

The Ordos project is not an isolated case. China is pushing for the development of around 100 national-level zero-carbon industrial parks between 2026 and 2030 while transitioning existing industrial parks toward low-carbon or zero-carbon operations.

This is part of a broader national effort championed by Xi - to accelerate the green transition across the board.