Beijing converts environmental progress into both economic driver and better life for locals

The scenery at Yanqi Lake in Huairou district of Beijing, capital of China. [Photo/Xinhua]

Beijing has strived to promote ecological progress in recent years, eyeing greener and healthier way of life, with the bonus of economic growth.

From 2015 to 2024, the Ecological Index (EI) of Beijing, an indicator reflecting the quality of ecological environment, rose from 64.2 to 71.4, up 11.21%.

As of July this year, nine of Beijing's 16 districts have been recognized by the central government for their ecological progress.

In the first seven months of this year, Beijing experienced remarkable progress in terms of air quality. The city's PM2.5 density averaged 26.9 micrograms per cubic meter, down by 19% year on year. Meanwhile, the number of days with good or excellent air quality reached 168, an increase of 18 days compared with the same period in 2024, according to the Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau.

To achieve such improvements, Beijing has taken multiple measures, including the promotion of new energy vehicles (NEVs). Currently, there are more than 1.13 million NEVs in the city. This is the result of large-scale, proven-to-work incentive policies. Examples of this continued effort include car trade-ins and priority of passage for new energy logistics trucks within the Fifth Ring Road.

The city also pays attention to "green production." From January to July, 669 new green enterprises were established, sending the green enterprise rate to 28.5%.

Among them were 10 "deep green" enterprises established in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area and Tongzhou district, which have set firm examples for pollution control and carbon reduction.

Other districts have also taken initiatives for green transition. In northern Huairou district's Yanqi Lake scenic area, a meeting and exhibition industry has been gaining momentum in recent years on the basis of its enchanting natural landscapes.

This location is already showing clear advantages with many international events making it their venue and area of choice. The 22nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in 2014, as well as the first and second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in 2017 and 2019, were held here.

Towards the centre of Beijing, Chaoyang district has restored rivers and connected a total of 2.08 million square meters of lakes and wetlands, as well as 200-plus kilometers of main rivers. The Liangma River International Waterfront has become a hotspot for water-related activities, cultural events, night tours and shopping. Urban renewal through river restoration is in full flow.

Green modes of transport are also on the rise, featuring walking, cycling, and low-carbon public transport services. In 2024, the proportion of green travel in the central districts of Beijing reached 75.6%, maintaining growth for three consecutive years. The city plans to continue the growth by building a comprehensive transportation system centered on rail transportation.

Beijing also aims to gain greater visibility of greenery and become a more livable city. In 2024, the city achieved a per capita parkland area of 16.96 square meters, with 44.95% forest coverage. This shows the trajectory of further providing citizens with easy, accessible greenery.

As the environment gets better, Beijing's biodiversity is also improving. In May, the city issued a white paper to share experience on biodiversity protection and sustainable utilization in a megacity. According to the white paper, from 2020-2024, Beijing recorded 151 types of natural and semi-natural ecosystems including forests, shrubberies, grasslands and marshes, as well as 7,121 species of algae, fungi, insects, higher plants, vertebrates and benthic macroinvertebrates.

Among them is reed parrotbill, a rare bird species under Class II protection in China. The bird is known for its pickiness in habitat environment, which is often in the reeds near rivers, lakes and marshes. In recent years, with their habitat expanding across Beijing, reed parrotbills have been spotted in the districts of Miyun, Fangshan, Daxing and Fengtai, demonstrating the city's continuous improvements in eco-environment.

The city's efforts and achievements in improving biodiversity have been noted. In October 2024, Beijing was named a Biodiversity Charming City at the 8th Summit for Subnational Governments and Cities, an official parallel event to the 16th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16).