Caught an interesting item on yesterday's Today programme (if that's not a contradiction!) at about how China is striving to establish a lead in green energy technologies.
Take aways for me:
1. It already is one of (or it might be the) dominant player in solar panel manufacture
2. The local council in Guellin (city in south west China) banned petrol-driven motor bikes and scooters. This resulted in people buying bikes with electric motors which led to a drop pollution levels and the rapid growth of a new industry, where China has or could easily develop a market leading position
3. The money and effort the are investing in electric cars
We've had a lot of rhetoric in this country about green jobs but little progress. Undoubetedly hina has a number of advantages - heavy state investment, lower maunfacturing costs, a huge potential home market - plus a political system that let's it drive through initiatives like the one in Guellin. It is also resource poor in terms of oil and gas (which it's political leaders see as a big weakness) so is keen to develop new sources. However, I was hoping we'd see the UK government encouraging investment in wind and wave technology, two resources we have in abundance and where we'd had a chance of securing a leading position
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They say we are in the beginning of the Asian Century. And one of the things that makes Asia - particularly East Asia - so interesting is the role of the state. Here we've forgotten the benefits of state power to direct investment.
ReplyDeleteIf the British state is as timid as with climate change as it has been over the reform of the financial system, then we won't meet our emissions targets.