Suzhou pursues China's "dual carbon" goals through innovation

China is committed to achieving peak carbon emissions and attaining carbon neutrality. In this regard, Suzhou in east China's Jiangsu Province established itself as a national low-carbon pilot city as early as 2012. Recently, members of the "Hello, Carbon Neutrality" research group visited Suzhou to learn about the city's innovative strategies for implementing the "dual carbon" goals and promoting the green economy.

Members of the "Hello, Carbon Neutrality" research group visit Suzhou Huichuan Technology Co., Ltd. (People's Daily Online/Yu Yang)

Khian Artgold Bonsobre, a Filipino student from Huaqiao University, took several photos of motor drive parts at Suzhou Huichuan Technology Co., Ltd. “The staff say that the parts they produce are used in all aspects of our lives, promoting green and low-carbon development. It's not easy to see these parts in daily life, which sparked my curiosity,” Bonsobre said.

Suzhou Huichuan Technology Co., Ltd. specializes in developing, producing, and selling industrial automation control software, hardware, and related products, as well as system integration. According to Han Guozhen, the director of the company's sustainability office, nearly 70 percent of total power consumption in the industrial sector is consumed by electric rotating machinery. The company's diverse products and solutions can significantly enhance energy efficiency in the manufacturing industry. Positioned within the industrial chain, the company has strived for energy and material savings, and improved efficiency through optimizing products and solutions, thereby directly and indirectly supporting more societal groups in adopting the "dual carbon" philosophy.

Members of the “Hello, Carbon Neutrality" research group visit Suzhou Industrial Park. (People's Daily Online/Yu Yang)

Revachand, a Pakistani student at Beijing Foreign Studies University, was struck by Suzhou's commitment to carbon neutrality. He learned that Suzhou, a celebrated cultural city with a history of more than 2,500 years, also exemplifies China's economic advancement. Suzhou has been balancing its economic development with carbon emission reduction, primarily by optimizing its economic structure, promoting energy conservation and emission reduction, adjusting its energy structure, improving energy efficiency, and increasing forest carbon sequestration, thereby steadily decelerating the growth of the city's total carbon emissions.

During the investigation, Revachand asked, “Enterprises have taken the lead in ‘dual carbon' practices. What contributions can citizens make?” He found his answer at the Carbon Inclusive Operation Center of Suzhou Industrial Park. In the future, the center will research charging stations for special vehicles, energy-saving transformations, electrochemical energy storage, and residents' power-saving and carbon reduction measures. It aims to broaden low-carbon practices within the public domain and incorporate low-carbon travel, lifestyle, and consumption habits into daily life.

To gain public support for green initiatives, Suzhou encourages citizens to take small steps in their daily lives. These steps include utilizing double-sided printing, raising air conditioner temperatures, minimizing the use of disposable plastic bags, turning off lights, and choosing green modes of transport.

For Douglas Dueno, an American, undertaking "dual carbon" actions is no small feat, requiring both financial and time investment. "In this research, I've seen the courage and perseverance of Chinese cities and the bright future for China to achieve the 'dual carbon' goal," he commented.

Foreign observers noted that many Chinese cities have integrated "dual carbon" initiatives into their overall ecological civilization construction and economic and social development plans. They expressed belief in China's potential to offer the world a Chinese approach to achieving the "dual carbon" goals.