Finding a greener way to grow

The rise of China is, with the end of the Cold War, arguably the most important change that has taken place in the world in the past 50 years. Global relations, the strategic balance and the flow of goods and people have fundamentally shifted, and this shift is still playing out in front of our eyes.

The source of this shift dates to meetings in Beijing in November 1978, when Deng Xiaoping was made the de facto leader of China. Many of my Chinese friends say they still remember where they were when this change took place — they knew it was a shift that heralded a new China. But nobody could anticipate the magnitude of the changes to come.

Deng’s role was central to this unparalleled change. He had learned from previous failures, and was experimental in nature, ready to try new ideas and open to innovation, yet also grounded in pragmatism and singularly focused on the goal of China’s growth.

Deng did not lead by micromanagement; he focused on the bigger picture in setting a new agenda for China. He sought to inspire learning, of “seeking truth from facts”, and appointed key leaders to implement his vision while galvanizing popular support.

I first visited China in 1984, when the reforms were only just beginning to take root. There were no private cars, and hardly any buildings that could be described as skyscrapers. Shenzhen had barely been established, and there was no Pudong in Shanghai.

In some villages, the first two-story buildings were appearing, and the owners were very proud. Business of those years were a far cry from the high-tech of today. I remember a friend from Shanghai getting a new car, and the neighbors turned out in droves to look at it. Professors were selling vegetables in the street to benefit from the market reforms. There was no high-speed rail, and only one metro line in Beijing.

The reforms started in agriculture, and not in industry as many now believe. In a pilot project, Wan Li, the Party chief of Anhui, allowed private farming in some villages, and then at a provincial level. Compared to the collective farming system, production skyrocketed. Based on this success, reform was taken to all of China. That’s still a powerful lesson for many nations today — experiment, learn, reform.

Deng’s readiness to learn was critical. He was not afraid to admit that China was behind advanced parts of the world, and had an almost studious drive to analyze and take new ideas on board. He was unafraid of the outside world, and had a pragmatic attitude, taking examples and transforming them in the Chinese context.

This was followed by what was an early embrace of a globalized world. Millions of students, business people and others went abroad to learn, bringing back the same kind of can-do world view that cemented the foundations of China’s growth.

There was a focus on productivity and economic development, with edu- cation a central pillar. Special economic zones such as Shenzhen were pioneered — the city itself still stands today as a symbol of this successful policy, having transformed from a fishing village to a modern, green metropolis of 13 million. Today a very different China will develop Xiongan as a model city, with an emphasis on quality more than speed.

Because what did suffer as a result of this breakneck growth was the environment — most of it fueled by coal and other fossil fuels — was not without the fallout of declining air quality, shocking levels of pollution and accompanying health impacts.

But China is showing that it will tackle this with the same can-do spirit. Deng’s leadership underpinned what we see today — a modern, outwardlooking nation eager to learn from the success and failures of others, and examine itself critically. It’s a nation that combines innovation and ambition to solve the seemingly impossible, to think big and succeed.

That’s why, today, China is now emerging as a green economic leader, paving the way in the shift to renewables, energy efficiency, green transportation and green buildings.

Without the staggering changes brought about by Deng, there likely would not be the ambition to build an “ecological civilization”, a beautiful China and the notion that green is gold. President Xi Jinping has the same ability to give the direction, and set out policies in a way that energizes people and propels transformative change.

It’s a powerful example for the rest of the world too, in that the ultimate prize — even after unprecedented growth and wealth creation — is a clean, green and low-carbon economy. It’s about embracing modernity but recognizing we must do so in harmony with nature. The author is former executive director of UN Environment. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.