RISING GREEN SECTOR
From non-fossil energy plants to new energy cars, green industries are enjoying a boom, with financial support encouraging environmentally friendly and energy-efficient projects.
It is estimated that the energy conservation and environment protection sectors will amount for about 2 percent of this year's GDP, while the share for the added value of emerging new energy sectors might stand at 8 percent.
China plans to increase its installed capacity of wind power and solar power to 200 gigawatts (GW) and around 100 GW by 2020, about 180 times and 1,600 times that for 2005 respectively, according to the INDC plan.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government highlighted green development as a key principle in its "Made in China 2025" plan to upgrade the country's manufacturing.
China is expected to invest over 2 trillion yuan in green industries the next five years. Only about 10 to 15 percent of that capital will come from the government.
"With the INDC plan and support policies to encourage private investment, the government is sending out a clear message that a low-carbon economy is the direction for industrial development," said Gao Feng, Chinese foreign ministry's special representative for climate change negotiations.
SUSTAINABLE CONSUMERISM
Under frequently smoggy skies, the growing Chinese middle class are increasingly aware of the importance of living a green lifestyle.
In the first quarter, sales of new energy cars grew almost threefold year on year, according to the commerce ministry.
"Chinese consumers are aware that going green is not just the business of government and enterprises. They are also a key stakeholder and can do their part by adopting a green way of life -- living more, not just having more," said He Jiankun, head of Tsinghua University's Low Carbon Economy Institute.
It is not just about buying energy-efficient light bulbs or fuel-efficient cars. More and more Chinese choose public transport and take part in public activities promoting low-carbon lifestyles.
The INDC plan promised China will continue to encourage green living by enhancing education and encouraging public institutions to take the lead in promotion, while it will also ensure that public transport has a 30-percent share of all motorized travel in large and medium-sized cities by 2020.
"We should develop a different vision of prosperity that balances economic growth with a clean environment. Sustainable consumption is the new fashion," He said.
