With new evidence accumulating daily, there is no room for scepticism about global warming and its impact on everything from people to penguins.

China is conscious of the enormity of the environmental challenges the world faces and is ready to show other countries that when it comes to reducing carbon emissions, this country means business.

Late last month, Beijing's public transportation authority took a big step when it announced that before next year's Olympic Games as many as 2,810 environmentally friendly vehicles would hit the roads. At least 80 percent of these buses would be powered by European IV engines.

China's rapid economic growth has led to a surge in car sales, putting the capital city on a collision course with the environment the future of which is becoming uncertain.

Currently, there are 2.97 million automobiles in the capital, and that number is expected to exceed 3.3 million by the start of the Olympic Games in 2008. The decision to replace more than 2,500 old buses with new-generation low-emissions vehicles before the Games reflects the nation's seriousness in tackling carbon emissions.

The authorities also announced the city would introduce 160 electric-powered trolley buses to its new green fleet in the run-up to the Olympic Games. Another 300 buses that run on compressed natural gas (CNG) will hit the roads, increasing the total number to 4,000.

Let's have a look at what Sweden is doing for cleaner energy. Alternative fuel stations are springing up all over the country, and there has been a nationwide rush to replace gasoline-powered engines with those powered by fuels such as ethanol and biogas fermented from plant waste.

In March, the country also introduced a rebate of SEK 10,000 ($1,470) to private individuals who buy a new green car. The rebate scheme, which will continue until December 31 2009, will encourage more people to buy fuel-efficient vehicles and cars that run on green fuels. By 2020, the country would no longer be dependent on fossil fuels.

New York is planning to impose fees on motorists entering the busiest part of Manhattan during peak traffic hours. The civic authority hopes the measure will reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent.

It is seeking a three-year pilot program for driving fees known as "congestion pricing", which would cost drivers $8 on weekdays between 6 am and 6 pm to travel into the busier parts of Manhattan. London and Singapore have introduced similar systems.

China has taken another significant step to generate bio-diesel. By 2010, the country plans to plant 13 million hectares of Jatropha trees, from which 6 million tons of bio-diesel can be extracted.

And Beijing could become the country's first city to use bio-fuel technology on a large scale. We can harmonize economic growth and environmental protection, and all of these initiatives would help stabilize emission rates.

Humankind and the environment share a closely interlinked fate.

According to the World Health Organization's estimates, climate change is responsible for at least 150,000 deaths every year a figure that would double by 2030.

Achieving human development while overcoming environmental challenges is an immense trial for humanity. However, we could play an enormous role if we really care about the future of mankind. To help save the planet and to make the world safe for our children, let us each vow to avoid an energy-intensive life.

E-mail: zouhr@chinadaily.com.hk

(China Daily 05/11/2007 page10)