Global Investors Support Ecological Development in Shanghai
A Shanghai action plan released in early July has set its sights on a green and low-carbon industry base valued at more than 500 billion yuan ($68.94 billion) by 2025, according to the municipal government.
Over the last few years, Shanghai has been transitioning to a green economy and injecting vitality into its low-carbon sector by continuously introducing new mechanisms, blueprints and policies to help meet China’s dual carbon goals, which are to achieve peak carbon emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.
The city’s commitment to promoting green and lowcarbon development is being positively received by global investors, with enterprises saying they are confident about a greener future for the city and keen to leverage their expertise to contribute to its sustainable
development.
Contributing to Green Future
Companies over the years from sectors of chemicals, painting and coating, pharmaceuticals and urban planning in Shanghai have attached greater significance to green and low-carbon development, increasing their investment to contribute to sustainable development.
German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, which has a production facility in Zhangjiang in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area, recently attained carbon neutral certification from the Guangzhou Emission Exchange and TUV Rheinland, making it the first carbon neutral plant in China’s pharmaceutical industry to be certified by both domestic and foreign authorities.
Sherwin-Williams, a global player in the manufacture, development, distribution and sales of paint, coatings and related products, has been launching new projects and creating partnerships.
“Our energy-efficient architectural coating solutions have already been adopted
by some 40 construction projects with a total space of approximately 2 million square meters in Shanghai,” said Jason Wu, president of Sherwin-Williams Asia.
Wu said the 40 projects in Shanghai can cut 9 million kilowatt-hours of electricity consumption and 2,800 metric tons of carbon emissions a year. Apart from introducing new projects, Sherwin-Williams also established a partnership with Tongji University in Shanghai to launch testing of new products in cities around China.
The company is also keen to expand partnerships in the country. “Sherwin-Williams has
long-standing and amicable partnerships with the local authorities and relevant stakeholders. As our company is committed to further development in China, we believe such partnerships would keep on growing,” Wu said.
Sherwin-Williams rolled out its Sustainability by Design program in 2021 across the enterprise to integrate sustainability into its innovation and product development processes, he said.
“Through the implementation of the Sustainability by Design program, we are enhancing the sustainability profile of our paints and coatings, while meeting the strict performance
criteria expected by our industry-leading products. Its cornerstones are innovation and continuous improvement,” Wu said.
Sherwin-Williams said it will remain committed to the Shanghai market and expand its operations around China.
“Sherwin-Williams regards Shanghai as a major bridgehead to spearhead its growth not only in China but also the entire Asia region,” said Wu. “Our pursuit of excellence in sustainability has received great support from the relevant authorities in Shanghai.
Their vision and open-mindedness supports Sherwin-Williams’ pursuit of developing energy-efficient coatings solutions for local customers.”
Sustainable Urbanization
The concept of sustainable development is not just being promoted in the industrial sector but also in urbanization. The city has been attracting an increasing number of leading urban planners to support its green shift.
Arup, a global collective of designers, consultants and experts dedicated to sustainable development, started working in Shanghai in 1984 and has long been inspired by its efforts in promoting sustainable urban development.
Penny Cheung, director of Arup in China, said sustainable development is central to
everything Arup does, aiming to create a sustainable future for all. Arup’s multidisciplinary services have facilitated urban renewal and transformation in the city.
For example, Arup worked with Expo Shanghai Group to launch the pioneer low-carbon planning guide for all post-expo developments and redevelop the Urban Best Practice Area at the former site of Shanghai Expo 2010 into a worldwide showcase of low-carbon and
eco-friendly cultural development.
Arup’s holistic approach achieved a balance between preserving the site’s historical charms and welding together modern elements to create a vibrant community.
Combining with a climate resilience approach, Arup also completed a citywide wastewater network review project for the Shanghai government and provided climate risk assessment and solutions for numerous development and investment projects in Shanghai.
“For over 30 years, we have witnessed and participated in most of the city’s strategic district and economic developments. From the rise of the city skyline to the expansion of urban clusters and to the digital transformation of the city, we established solid relationships with the city and local communities.
We shall be committed to applying our expertise in driving the sustainable development of Shanghai,” Cheung said. In 2020, Arup launched a three-year global strategy centering on sustainable development, which aims to position the company to have a more positive effect on the built-up environment.
Cheung said that China’s dual carbon goals and the pandemic both emphasize the necessity of enhancing urban resilience and combating climate change. “Collaborating with our clients
and partners, we will continue to foster the resilient and sustainable development in the Chinese market by our forward-looking design and quality delivery across the urban environment and building industry,” Cheung said.
References
• https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shanghai-global-investors-confident-about-ecological-development-301681080.html
• Görsel / Image: https://pixabay.com/
