Home / Environment / News Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
'More Money Needed' to Keep Beijing Environment Clean
Adjust font size:

Beijing still has an expenditure gap to keep its environment clean, according to its green gross domestic product (GDP) report.

The capital was the first to release the 2004 Environmentally Adjusted GDP Accounting pilot project among the 10 participants, including the municipalities of Tianjin and Chongqing, and the provinces of Hebei, Liaoning, Anhui, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Guangdong and Hainan.

The report shows that in 2004, Beijing needed 3 billion yuan (US$375 million) more than the earmarked 5 million yuan (US$625 million) to treat its total pollutant discharge.

"Statistics show that Beijing still has a large debt to pay to improve its environment," Beijing Statistical Bureau deputy head Yu Xiuqin said yesterday.

The economic damage caused by pollution in Beijing that year was about 11.7 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion), or 1.92 percent of its 606 billion yuan (US$76 billion) GDP. The national average, however, was 3.05 percent.

Air pollution caused the greatest damage, resulting in an economic loss of 9.5 billion yuan (US$1.1billion), followed by water pollution and solid waste.

"The green GDP report is just the tip of the iceberg showing the extent of environmental damage because it doesn't cover natural resources depletion and ecosystem destruction," deputy head of Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau Du Shaozhong said.

"It doesn't even take into account soil, underground water, indoor air, noise and radioactive material pollution," Du said.

The national green GDP report was published in September 2006, and was calculated by deducting the cost of environmental degradation from traditional GDP. It was done to show people and officials the cost exacted by economic growth.

Though some participating provincial and municipal governments have reportedly pulled out of the pilot project after the 2004 report was published, Yu said "Beijing will actively work with the top environmental watchdog and statistical administration to take the scheme forward".

(China Daily February 14, 2007)

Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous

China Archives
Related >>
- 'Haze Warnings' for Beijing Residents
- Beijing Air Quality Has Improved in the Past 6 Years
- Beijing to Report 'Haze' in Weather Forecast
- Beijing to Issue Pollution Warnings
Most Viewed >>
Air Quality 
Cities Major Pollutant Air Quality Level
Beijing particulate matter II
Shanghai particulate matter III1
Guangzhou sulfur dioxide II
Chongqing particulate matter III2
Xi'an particulate matter III1
Most Read
- White paper on energy
- Endangered monkeys grow in number
- Yangtze River's Three Gorges 2 mln years in the making
- The authorities sets sights on polluted soil
- China, US benefit from clean energy
NGO Events Calendar Tips
- Hand in hand to protect endangered animals and plants
- Changchun, Mini-marathon Aimed at Protecting Siberian Tiger
- Water Walk by Nature University
- Green Earth Documentary Salon
- Prof. Maria E. Fernandez to Give a Lecture on Climate Change
More
Archives
UN meets on climate change
The UN Climate Change Conference brought together representatives of over 180 countries and observers from various organizations.
Panda Facts
A record 28 panda cubs born via artificial insemination have survived in 2006.
South China Karst
Rich and unique karst landforms located in south China display exceptional natural beauty.
Saving the Tibetan Antelopes
The rare animals survive in the harsh natural environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
More
Laws & Regulations
- Forestry Law of the People's Republic of China
- Meteorology Law of the People's Republic of China
- Fire Control Law of the People's Republic of China
- Law on Protecting Against and Mitigating Earthquake Disasters
- Law of the People's Republic of China on Conserving Energy
More
Links:
State Environmental Protection Administration
Ministry of Water Resources
Ministry of Land and Resources
China Environmental Industry Network
Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base