China going green?

Is China getting serious about the environment, albeit out of concern for its continued economic growth? Seed magazine (via AFP) picks up two telling stories: First, China has just released its first official report on global climate change. The report concludes that greenhouse gases from human activity are leading to climate change, and that economic growth could be hindered if global warming continued. The report warns that temperatures could rise in the Middle Kingdom by 1.3-2.1 degrees Celsius by 2020, and by as many as 6 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Given that 2006 was China's hottest year in half a century and thousands died from widespread droughts, the new report no doubt reflects a concerned Beijing.

The government may also be cracking down on false reporting of pollution data. Chinese state media reported last week that although regional governments reported meeting pollution-reduction targets, the country's top environmental watchdog says pollution as increasing.  

The figures on pollution control reported by local governments dropped remarkably this year, while the real environmental situation continues to deteriorate," said the unnamed official with the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA).

"The inaccurate figures were caused by insufficient supervision of the local governments and possible fabrication."

Neither story means China is going full-on green anytime soon, but the environment may finally be on the radar. On Monday, the Chinese government announced that it will "preferentially purchase environmentally-friendly products." Whatever that means, it's a start.