GREEN AWARENESS: recycled bags (XINHUA)

Zhan sees herself as leading an eco-conscious lifestyle. Her three-generation family lives in a 150-square-meter apartment in north Beijing. They use natural gas for cooking, heating and bathing. She seldom uses her air-conditioner at home and in the office turns it down a couple of notches to save energy. No one in the family smokes but her son drives to work everyday. Their life is contained within a 10-km radius.

Despite the family's efforts to go green, after checking the online carbon footprint calculator Zhan (who declined to use her full name) was surprised to discover that the household's total carbon emissions reached 9.97 tons in 2009. "[We] even consumed 3,000 kwh of electricity last year, accounting for one quarter of the total emissions." Zhan is determined to take firmer measures to reduce this figure based on their food, housing, lifestyle choices and mode of transportation.

Road map

Zhan is among an increasing number of Chinese beginning to understand that every thing they do, every dollar they spend has an impact on the climate change.

Climate change has become an economic challenge to China, in addition to an environmental one, as indicated by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabo at last year's Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change.

Li Junfeng, Deputy Director General of the Energy Research Institute at the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner, describes the huge challenge that lies ahead as "a strong momentum to switch to a low-carbon economy." But it means great business opportunities, said Li, such as alternative technologies and fuels, clean coal technologies, nuclear power, and renewable energy.

Developing a low-carbon economy is now a key national development strategy. Premier Wen has reiterated that the Chinese Government will continue its drive to save energy, reduce emissions, preserve ecosystems, examine sustainability in terms of economic models, while the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, has also intensified legislative input on a green and low-carbon economy in order to address climate change. China also announced last year that it would cut the intensity of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP in 2020 by 40 to 45 percent, compared with the 2005 level while energy consumption per unit of GDP fell by more than 15 percent from the 2005.

The government also plans to generate about 15 percent of its energy capacity from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources by 2020, while reducing fossil fuel consumption from 91 percent to 85 percent, according to NDRC.

Significant investment continues to flow into the new energy sector correspondingly. The National Energy Administration said this July that the government plans to earmark 5 trillion yuan ($746 billion) into renewable energy projects in the coming decade based on an industry development plan. In comparison the U.S. Government has pledged $150 billion toward developing new energy in the next decade.