No easy path

As China's economy continues to grow, so does its demand for natural resources. But if China is to maintain sustainable development, then it - like every other country in the world - must have a clear understanding of just how much of nature's resources it is using.

The path to sustainable development will not be easy. Around the world, urgent action is needed to avert dangerous climate change, to prevent the over-exploitation of our marine and forest environments, and to protect our freshwater supplies.

With the recent release of WWF's Living Planet Report 2008, we have further evidence to prove the necessity for China and the world to develop within the limits of our one planet.

The Living Planet Report is a major WWF publication released every two years on the state of the world's ecosystem. The report gives an account of the pressures on global resources from human consumption by looking at two indicators: the Living Planet Index, which measure trends in the Earth's biological diversity, and the Ecological Footprint, which records the impact we are having on the planet.

The Living Planet Report tells us the world has changed dramatically in many ways in the past 40 years. Many nations have experienced unprecedented economic growth. In some countries, growth has brought their people a reduction in poverty and an improved quality of life. In others, it has brought soaring consumption. It is not surprising that our global footprint now exceeds the world's capacity to regenerate by about 30 percent.

Consumption

Today, each person consumes on average around one third more than a person did four decades ago. But the population has grown, so the amount of natural resources per person has fallen. Taken together, these two things have placed incredible stress on the environment around the world. The Living Planet Index shows that over the past 35 years, we have lost nearly one third of the Earth's ecological capital.

The analysis in the Living Planet Report tells us that the people of China today have an ecological footprint of 2.1 "global hectares" - that is, on average, each person needs 2.1 hectares of biologically productive land to meet the demands of their lifestyle. This figure is still lower than the world average of 2.7 global hectares, and is only a fraction of US citizens' footprint of 9.4 global hectares and about half of the EU's footprint of 4.7.

Meanwhile, China's net imports for domestic consumption represent only slightly more than one quarter of the total imports of biocapacity into the country. In other words, the bulk of natural resources that are imported into China are turned into manufactured goods and then exported to be consumed internationally.

International trade is not the answer to the global ecological deficit. International standards on sustainable trade need to be established and enforced, and subsidies, which have a negative impact on natural resources should be redirected towards sustainable production.

Three factors determine a country's footprint: population, consumption per person, and the resource-intensity of that consumption. Measuring the trends in each of these factors, and understanding the implications, will help China in its quest to come up with innovative ways to achieve its development goals while ensuring that future generations have the natural resources they need to prosper.

Individuals can help reduce this deficit by changing the way they consume. By making environmentally sensitive choices - buying low-energy light bulbs, demanding energy-efficient buildings and using public transport, for instance - individuals can make their own footprint a little smaller, and when taken on a population-wide basis, these cuts can make a difference.

But they will not be enough.

Consumption of fossil fuels accounts for almost half of China's footprint, and it is here that urgent progress towards sustainable development must be made. Specifically, China will need to improve efficiency at each stage of the energy life cycle, in both production and consumption; it will need to develop and use alternative energy sources; and, it will need to employ new technology at existing and planned coal-fired power plants to ensure that carbon emissions are captured and stored safely underground.

The Living Planet Report also suggests a possible solution to reducing the world's footprint by allocating footprint rights or permits to consume. These "shares" could then be traded between individuals and nations. This approach would of course have to address countries with growing populations, historical circumstance, and the varying needs of countries.

These types of decisions and changes need to take place at the highest levels of government and industry in each country, and more importantly, leaders need to work together to come up with more sustainable solutions to production and consumption of our natural resources.

Ecological footprint

At the recent high-level conference organized by WWF and the Chinese Academy of Science in September, representatives from governments, international institutions and corporations from all over the world gathered in Beijing to discuss the significance of the ecological footprint to the global economy and sustainable development. Discussions included the sustainable use of natural resources, finding practical solutions to energy production, and sustainability in the finance and banking sectors. Events like these allow for the sharing of valuable experience and create and strengthen opportunities for cooperation.

If China's economy is to continue to boom it will be critically important that it works with other developing and developed countries to find ways to lighten its footprint. A country - any country - that runs out of natural resources is going to struggle to find successful growth.

China is just beginning to take stock of its footprint. Other countries must follow suit, for it will take a concerted, global effort of all countries big and small, rich and aspiring, to put the world on a track where we are all living in harmony with nature.

The author is Director General, WWF International. The views expressed in the article are his own

(China Daily 12/29/2008 page4)