Chongqing- Carbon neutrality is a buzzword in China nowadays, but many may have heard it for the first time in September 2020, when Chinese President Xi Jinping announced to the United Nations General Assembly that China would ‘aim to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060’.

Carbon neutrality means that countries balance their CO2 emissions by equivalent reductions in CO2 from the atmosphere. China’s pledge to become carbon neutral puts it in closer alignment with many other countries including the EU member states which have pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050. China’s pledge to become carbon neutral will change the nature of the country’s economy, as well as global efforts to combat climate change.

On June 10,  the Field Trip to Yuzhong District by Member Companies of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China was held in Yuzhong, Chongqing. iChongqing has interviewed Mr.Massimo Bagnasco, the Vice President, also the President of the Southwest Chapter of the European Chamber of Commerce in China, to talk about the very important issue: carbon neutrality in China and in Chongqing. Mr.Massimo Bagnasco has shared his vision on this topic, as well as his expectations of the sustainable development of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle.

"When we want to achieve this target- reduce carbon emission close to zero, it means that it's not just a matter of energy transition move from coal to sustainable energy. It's something really wider and bigger, which includes the overall economic and social system where we live in." While working as an architect and a pioneer of sustainable development in Europe and in China in 2013, Mr.Massimo Bagnasco has supported the European Commission as an expert in a group between European experts and Chinese ones for the EU-China Sustainable Urbanization Partnership.  "This is a really important joint challenge or mission that the European Union and China share. We have nowadays concrete cooperation in the field of climate change, biodiversity, and circular economy, which are all related." Mr.Bagnasco said.

"I believe that the advantage of Europe really has an approach to share with China nowadays. A few years ago, in 2013 China launched the New Style Organization Plan. The important point of the plan was the first key recommendation to put humans in the center of the development, so give importance to the final user, as the most important element in the development. " As a famous architecture and city planner of Italy, Mr.Bagnasco has given his point of view on Europe’s experience and contribution to building energy efficiency in the process of achieving carbon neutrality. "A few years ago in 2006, we published a book in China and the title was Design on a Human Scale. So put them into the center of the development, like in a very famous picture linked to Leonardo da Vinci but in reality related to a book of Roman's time,'De Architectura' by Vitruvio. In this way, China and Europe started to have a common goal and a common vision on some developments: the importance of the use of natural resources. "

Mr.Bagnasco said that due to the lack of suitable living territory, land is the most important natural resource to China. In this way, Europe and China could look at the topic with the attention to the cultural heritage, the background of the history and tradition of this country. He believes this is the first point for China and Europe to find a common language to further develop other fields. On the other hand, he thinks that the change of urbanization development in China focuses on quality over quantity nowadays, which is also a key point for him to provide his support in Chongqing and Sichuan areas. "You also have to interact in a way where you join together this area, like Europe and the overall connection. "

While talking about his suggestion on the future of carbon neutrality in China, Mr.Bagnasco believes the target is not just a challenge, but also creates opportunities. "Nowadays we have amazing technologies available in the market which European companies can provide. One of them is the technology that uses the fried oil to transform into biodiesel, which can be used for track for bus and so on.  I believe in Southwest China, it's an important step ahead." He also emphasized  that as the technology changed, the carbon neutrality process would create new jobs in the architectural area, as well as create business opportunities. "A plant like this one means billions of investment, means thousands of jobs, means huge tax of revenues. So we just have to change our mindset and look at this, not something which is an obstacle, but it's an opportunity we have to change our model, but we must change it, and you will find the right way to go and to have economic development in a sustainable way. " To reach the target, Mr.Bagnasco said that two factors are the most important: the government and the people.  "The government will provide the new policy, new law, new condition, and people also should realize that they need to change their lifestyle and save energy." 

When talking about the development of Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle and the suburban areas, Mr.Bagnasco said that the balance is what important to rural revitalization under the context of the carbon neutrality target. "The right dimension of the natural and artificial environment that you create around people is what creates harmony. But then every single place has some peculiarity which makes a necessary to make a very deep carbon footprint assessment and the analysis of that place because there are so many variables then the solution will be different. That's why the European’s companies can offer technology, but also the service sector can offer a various experience to find the right mechanism to settle it."

(Du Min, the intern, also has contributed to this article.)