Did you know one of the main economic drivers of China have been a series of 5 Year Plans? These plans have been in place since 1953. The government has completed and often exceeded almost every five year plan since “The Great Leap Forward” from 1958 – 1962. These plans have shaped China’s industrial and manufacturing might that we see today. The plans have also contributed to the terrible toll this manufacturing has taken on China’s and the rest of the world’s environment.

China is the worlds largest polluter releasing around 23% of the worlds CO2 emissions. The US is not far behind at 18% of the worlds CO2 emissions. The world perceives the US as more progressive to China and more sensitive to the earth and it’s inhabitants. It seems counter-intuitive that China’s Government have included environmental goals and plan on reaching them while the US Government has recently been pushing bills to limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s power.

Part of China’s 2011-2015 five year plan includes cutting carbon emissions by a staggering 17% and reducing energy consumption by 16%. In their previous five year plan (2006-2010) China reduced energy consumption by 19.1%. China also plans to increase forest coverage by 12.5 million hectares.

So what’s the impact if China achieves these goals? In overall terms, it’s slamming on the brakes of a really big truck going too fast. The truck won’t stop but the momentum is being shifted. The anticipated 7% per year GDP growth in China will be achieved in a much more sustainable way. The best thing about these goals is they will continue to be made in the future, this is just the beginning.

I was lucky enough to spend December in Shanghai. One thing that I noticed was there was an abundance of bikes on the road. However, unlike in Indonesia and Vietnam where I traveled previously, a large portion of these bikes/scooters were electric. This was made very apparent to me as they are silent and I almost got hit by one as I went around a corner on the sidewalk.

China has over 100 million e-bikes on the road making it by far the largest e-bike market in the world. With sales of over 30 million units a year, thousands of bikes are added to the road everyday.

These e-bikes are a cheap alternative to get around the city. They can be run for just over 20 cents a day and can retail for as low as $300 US. They’re also convenient to avoid China’s terrible traffic jams.

So, sounds all good right?

Not exactly. 80% of China’s power comes from coal burning power plants. Also these batteries require frequent charging. If you’re a daily driver you’ll need to be a daily charger. This frequency makes replacement necessary in as little as a year in some cases. The batteries contain as much lead as car batteries (10-15kg), and many are not recycled. For those that are, practices are behind western standards leading to pollution. Furthermore many inexperienced riders are killed in accidents.

The most polluting smelters are starting to be closed and cleaner technology is being brought in, all in time for China’s ambition carbon reduction goals of 2015.