Going green with Chinese characteristics Stephen S. Roach

In the here and now of climate change, it is easy to lose sight of important signs of progress. China, one of the world's biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, is a case in point. By changing its economic model, shifting its sources of fuel, developing new transportation systems, and embracing eco-friendly urbanization, China has set an example of global leadership in sustainability strategy that the rest of the world needs to consider very carefully. In the rush to demonize China over trade, the West has missed this point altogether.

In the past 12 years, China's economic structure has shifted dramatically from excessive reliance on smokestack manufacturing industries to low-carbon services. Back in 2006, the so-called secondary sector of GDP - largely manufacturing but also including construction and utility production - accounted for 48 percent of China's GDP, while the tertiary, or services, sector accounted for just 42 percent of GDP. By 2018, the shares had been reversed - 41 percent of GDP for the secondary sector and 52 percent for services. For large economies, structural changes of this magnitude in such a short period are virtually unprecedented.

Structural shift in economy exemplary