'New normal' key to cleaner, greener China
On April 12, hundreds of people in Heyuan, Guangdong province, protested against the expansion of a coal-fired power plant, reflecting growing public awareness of environmental protection. Therefore, the local government has to address public concern, especially because the Chinese economy has embraced the "new normal", which features mid-to high-speed growth with higher efficiency to achieve sustainable development.
Heyuan's residents had been complaining against the smog covering the area since the power plant began operations in 2008. But officials, ignoring their complaints, recently approved the second phase of the project.
The central government's "new normal" economic growth plan offers more opportunities for local governments to restructure their local economies. More modest but higher quality growth is the "new normal" that the central government has espoused, which should afford local governments the opportunity to prioritize the restructuring of the energy industry and implement policies at the local level that lead toward cleaner sources.