China's green drive creates country's first carbon-negative island

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By Zhang Xinyi, Wang Kai, Li Baojie (Xinhua) 08:16, June 06, 2023

JINAN, June 5 (Xinhua) -- From transforming farmland back into forests to adopting clean energy sources and establishing a "carbon credit bank," Lingshan Island in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao has launched an all-out war against carbon emissions.

These efforts have yielded remarkable results, positioning the island located in the West Coast New Area of Qingdao as China's first carbon-negative sea island, thereby, demonstrating the country's commitment to environmental sustainability.

This aerial photo taken on June 5, 2023 shows the Lingshan Island in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

China has set ambitious goals of achieving carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, taking a prominent role in the global fight against climate change.

BECOMING CARBON NEGATIVE

In recent years, Lingshan Island, home to more than 2,400 residents, has moved further in its green drive, pursuing clean energy transformation, sustainable production and an environmentally-friendly lifestyle.

As a result, the island has reduced its carbon emissions and created more carbon sinks. Its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions hit negative 1,333 tonnes in 2020, making it China's first carbon-negative sea island, according to China Quality Certification Center (CQC).

The milestone came following the decision of the West Coast New Area to build itself into a "dual carbon" demonstration zone in 2020, in response to the country's "dual carbon" goal. Lingshan Island was chosen as a pilot site after assessments, and the entire year of 2020 was set as the duration for carbon accounting.

"We conducted verification for over three months, assessing the entire production and life processes happening on the island, covering more than 2,000 residents and 73,000 tourists," said Li Jingzhe, an associate professor at Qingdao University of Science and Technology, who took part in the entire verification session.

Tourists visit the Lingshan Island in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, June 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

CQC has confirmed that Lingshan Island generated 5,668 tonnes of CO2 equivalent from energy consumption, agricultural activities, and waste management. The greenhouse gas removal from forest carbon sinks amounted to 7,001 tonnes. Therefore, the net CO2 emissions equivalent was negative 1,333 tonnes.

According to Li, the data is calculated by the most strict standard as there are no international standards for ocean carbon reduction. "If we had included blue carbon (carbon captured and stored by the oceans and coastal ecosystem), our data would have been much more impressive," Li said.

WHY THIS ISLAND?

The achievement stems from dedicated and unwavering efforts. In recent years, Lingshan Island has undergone a significant transformation, embracing green and low-carbon development by transforming the lifestyles of its residents and upgrading industries.

In 2020, the island launched an initiative to switch from coal to electricity for winter heating. Initially, residents, including Chen Gaofeng, expressed concerns about potential increases in bills.

Chen, however, decided to give it a try as the local government subsidized most of the purchases of electric heaters and their electricity bills. "As it turned out, the electric heater performed excellently, proving to be not only environmentally friendly but also much safer," Chen said.

A resident shows an electric heater subsidized by the local government thanks to an initiative to switch from coal to electricity for winter heating on the Lingshan Island in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, June 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

More than one-third of households on the island have transitioned to utilizing electricity for winter heating.

Furthermore, the island has been actively converting farmland back into forest since 1986 as part of its green drive. Local authorities have afforested more than 233 hectares of land, accounting for over a third of the entire forest on the island.

The island has made other efforts to reduce fuel energy consumption and environmental pollution, such as promoting photovoltaic power generation and new energy vehicles and launching waste sorting and recycling.

Tourists take electric vehicles as they visit the Lingshan Island in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, June 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)