M.A June during Donald Trump’s presidency changed a strange role. For more than two decades as one of China’s top environmental promoters, background music has been part of encouraging Americans to reduce carbon emissions and offset the losses of rapid industrialization. Mom never thought she would rethink the United States on environmental commitments, as China began to address the challenge.

The mother of the last four years said that “it has become frustrating,” as we talked on the phone, the excitement of Beijing in the background was melodic. “It was difficult to do anything when it came to environmental cooperation within the government.”

In the run-up to the US election, the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a double-edged sword of Washington’s record on the environment, criticizing the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement and failing to protect wildlife – even condemning the methane gas leak. This was probably criticized in September as a response to the State Department’s fact sheet, but the old dynamics between the two forces on the environment seem to have ended.

“China has begun to change its course. We’ve seen a lot more ‘Walk the Walk’ action. China has taken a number of drastic measures to tackle pollution and environmental degradation. And we’ve seen some progress because of that, “said Mom.

When the 52-year-old former investigative journalist wrote about the New China water crisis – published from China in 1999 to 1999 and the West in 2004 – the issue of air pollution, polluted water and deforestation was widely accepted as a value for China’s rapid economic development. Mother’s writings on the pollution crisis helped to awaken the environment.

More than two decades later, China is hosting major environmental talks for the first time in Kunming’s Cop 15 in 2021, where the international community will sign a Paris-style treaty for nature. President Xi Jinping has promised to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060 and ensure China’s greenhouse gas emissions peak this decade. The next five-year plan, currently under development, may still be green.

“I think the most important thing for China to change its path was the voice of the Chinese people, made by its citizens.” “It simply came to our notice then. So many began to hear their voices. Eventually, the government began monitoring and publishing truthful information. “Although more than one million people die each year in China due to air pollution, the number of deaths has begun to decrease and air quality is improving.

“The more steps that are taken, the more confidence decision-makers give that it will not cause a massive catastrophe in society,” Ma added.

Undoubtedly, many challenges remain. Environmental concerns surround the multibillion-dollar belt and road initiatives – guaranteeing China’s role as a hub for international trade for the next century. Parts of the illegal wildlife trade center in China, extinction of species across the planet. The current epidemic has only intensified the screening.

“Kovid-19 taught people a hard lesson that we need to think more about the relationship between man and nature,” she said. “But Saras taught us that lesson before.” People sometimes have a small memory. People understand that we should not devour these wild animals, but unfortunately when the epidemic is over, it will come back somehow. “

As in the aftermath of the 2002-02 eruption, the Chinese government has imposed a temporary ban on wildlife markets. Chinese preachers have called on the government to lift the ban. The mother says she is creating an AI app with her partners that will help identify animals that are part of the illegal wildlife business and are being sold in the market and report incidents to agencies.

“Some people have been seen bringing products like ivory and rhino horn to China. I think people are increasingly realizing that it’s immoral – not just illegal, it’s immoral. We, the generation of Chinese, have a tendency to understand more about it. “

If the app is successful, it is the latest strategy of multiple data-led tools that help China bring about change in the environment. Founded in 2000, the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs has become China’s top NGO since 200, providing a direct map of the country’s environmental pollution that provides accessible air and water quality information to all. People can monitor the results of nearby factories and report evidence of environmental violations through the Blue Map app.

Ma said the data has encouraged about 16,000 factories to improve environmental standards, many of which are made as part of Western Western companies such as Apple, Levi and Primark’s supply chain. This has encouraged the Chinese government to improve its environmental record.

Her mother’s mission to restore the blue skies and clear water of her youth in Beijing was further encouraged by the election of Joe Biden. Hope has returned, he said, noting that we have noticed a change of tone before we speak for the first time in October, on the eve of his participation in the Global Landscapes Forum event on the importance of biodiversity in preventing future epidemics and climate change crises.

“A lot has been done by the two countries [China and America]: Two largest emitters, two largest emitters. “They have a lot to do together,” he said, referring to Biden’s commitment to rejoining the Paris Agreement. According to a recent analysis by Climate Action Tracker, if the president-elect’s বিনিয়োগ 1.7tn green investment spending plan is fully implemented, his president could reduce global warming by 0.1 degrees. That said, Biden is likely to face strong opposition from Republicans at the state and federal levels.

“I hope there is healthy competition between the two countries,” Ma added. “Hopefully they will see not only costs and risks, but also huge potential for green recovery and green growth.”

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