Making China's commute greener

It’s not easy to curb air pollution in cities with nearly 20 million residents, but that’s the daunting problem China faces in both Shanghai and Beijing.

Step 1: What’s the problem?

Urban air pollution can stem from many causes, but when EDF's China staff sat down to think about the problem, they couldn’t ignore the role of the automobile in Beijing. Automakers sold 7.2 million new vehicles in China in 2006, spurring economic growth and making China the world’s second-largest auto market.

Everyone wants to feel like the “king of the road” sometimes – and that’s okay – but 20 million commuters going to work at the same time brings rush hour to a whole new level.

The fast rise in Beijing car ownership contributed to a sharp increase in sulpher dioxide and carbon dioxide emissions, creating a local acid rain problem and adding to the greenhouse gas build-up that is causing global warming.

Cars also belch out carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide and hydrocarbons – posing potentially serious risks to the health of city residents. According to the World Bank’s 2001 Development Report, 16 of the world’s 20 most polluted cities are in China. China’s own Ministry of Environmental Protection estimated that almost 80% of national urban air pollution comes from automobiles.

EDF decided incentives were needed to encourage Beijing residents to reduce automobile use. Working with partners from government and business, EDF set out to look for ways to raise awareness of the environmental and health rewards of reduced automobile use.

Step 2: What’s the plan?

EDF was working on Beijing air pollution well before the 2008 Summer Olympics. But Olympic pride provided the perfect motivation for government, businesses and citizens to rev up their efforts.

In the months before and after the Olympics, EDF worked with 100 Beijing-based companies, who encouraged workers to use alternative transportation – bicycle, subway, carpool – to travel to and from work.

Step 3: Do it!

EDF's Beijing office partnered with local government officials and reached out to companies in China to voluntarily reduce their carbon dioxide emissions, soot emissions and other pollutants.

Engineers at Tsinghua University designed an online emissions calculator, which employees could use to track their daily commutes by inputting starting location, end location and means of transport. The calculator tallied employee carbon savings, which were later listed on the China Beijing Equity Exchange. Profits from their sales were reinvested in the program.

80,000 commuters used the online calculator to measure their companies' carbon savings. Participating companies included:

• China Mobile Communications Corp.
• BP
• Microsoft
• Shell
• BASF

A Beijing Green Commuting public awareness campaign was promoted by Chinese celebrities from June to September 2008 – the height of the Olympic season. And the campaign extended well beyond Beijing, with other cities hosting activities in line with local resources and needs:

• Shanghai held environmental education activities in elementary schools and placed “Green Commuting” advertisements in the subways
• Nanjing sponsored “Green Commuting” surveys, which were conducted by volunteers in the main streets
• Xiamen encouraged Nordic walking, entertainment performances and “water commuting” on local rivers via boat
• Shijiazhuang hosted cycling activities around the city center and posted “Green Commuting” logos on local buses
• Jiamusi sponsored activities for tourists to raise their environmental awareness during travel

Step 4: Tally accomplishments

The Beijing Olympics Green Commuting project delivered some big numbers:

• 100 companies participated in the campaign
• 80,000 employees participated, producing 1,000 daily hits on the online carbon calculator
• Subway ridership jumped 75%
• Bus ridership rose 48%
• Nearly 9,000 tons of carbon dioxide were prevented from release into the air

There were some equally important intangible results, including greater public awareness of energy savings, emission reductions and environmental protection.

“The real legacy of the Green Olympics for China is to make a greener lifestyle both belief and practice in the society at large," said EDF China staffer Zhang Lingge.

Read more from Zhang Lingge and others about China's transition to a greener lifestyle in preparation for the 2008 Olympics at the People's Daily Online.

Step 5: Repeat steps 1 through 4 in Shanghai

EDF and its partners have already launched a similar Green Commuting program in Shanghai, which is China’s largest metropolitan area. Shanghai is preparing to host the World Expo in 2010, drawing 70 million visitors between May and October of that year.

The Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau and the Bureau for Shanghai World Expo Coordination have invited EDF to be their sole partner in a green commuting program for the Expo.

To facilitate preparations for the World Expo, EDF recently opened an office in Shanghai. The Expo is expected to draw around 400,000 people a day and as many as 70 million visitors between May and October 2010, according to the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau.

“It’s a fitting way to reinforce the Expo theme: ‘Better city, better life,’” says our chief economist Dr. Daniel Dudek.