Environment is critical in an age of climate-driven floods, heat-waves, hurricanes and wild-fires. Science is cautioning against a catastrophic ecological overshoot or tipping point. China has a vital role to play in this, negatively or positively. China is the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide; the largest producer of pesticides, pork and plastics; it ranks second in
terms of water consumption.

Yet, China appears to be on track to lead the global energy transition with a first position in installed solar and wind power, green hydrogen use, and Electric Vehicle production. Research shows that China’s CO2 emissions have been flat or falling for 1.5 year since 2024, while the International Energy Agency (IEA) found that its oil consumption has reached a plateau. The Environment project studies these contradictory trends.

What did we find so far?

How do young, urban Chinese—a generation of future leaders, executives and
campaigners—understand “environmental doomsday”?