Leading to environmental sustainability: current status, challenges and prospects of Sino-African low-carbon co-operation

Abstract

Environmental sustainability is very important for Africa and China. When we seek a solution, low-carbon development at this stage is an important approach. To a certain extent, the low-carbon development is a combination of environmental protection and economic development. China faces great challenges in environmental protection, but it has also made great achievements in low-carbon development, and has certain advantages in terms of capital, technology, and market. The Chinese government has also shown great willingness to change China’s development model from high-carbon development to low-carbon development. At present, Africa is at the important stage of protecting its environment while seeking to boost economic development, making low-carbon development a pressing task for African governments. Africa should try to avoid copying the Chinese experience of environmental protection after pollution. In the respect of low-carbon development, there are many common interests and co-operation possibilities between China and Africa in the age of a heightened China-African relationship. China's technologies in small hydro-power, solar, biogas and other clean technologies are suitable for low-carbon development in Africa.