On November 4, China announced it would completely eliminate incandescent light bulbs over the next five years to increase energy efficiency in the country.
The country will ban imports of incandescent bulbs starting with bulbs over 100 watts in 2012, to be followed by 60-watts in 2014 and 15-watts in 2016, when they will be completely phased out.
China, which is the world’s largest producer of incandescent, flourescent and LED bulbs, says lighting accounts for about 12% of its electricity consumption.
The country manufactured 3.85 billion incandescent bulbs last year, and 1.07 billion were sold domestically.
China follows the US and Europe in phasing out inefficient incandescents. In the EU, they will be phased-out in 2012, and in the US, House Republicans failed to repeal a 2007 law which would phase out inefficient incandescents with incandesents that are 30% more efficient beginning next year.
China Completes Draft Electric Vehicle Standards
China has earmarked $1.5 billion a year over the next decade to jump start its electric vehicle (EV) industry and national EV standards will be released soon, say members of the EV subcommittee of the National Technical Committee of Auto Standardization.
The highly-anticipated New Energy Vehicle Development Plan would pave the way for a booming EV sector, analysts say.
"EV’s industrialization and marketing here has long been bottlenecked by the lack of standards, but their full appliance will allow for mass production," Wu Zhixin, deputy director of China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATRC), told the Global Times.
The standards are being developed by 16 Chinese State-owned enterprises, as part of the EV Industry Alliance formed last year, but foreign auto companies have been lobbying hard to participate in determining them.
China to Recycle 70% of Waste by 2015
The country is also moving to solve its extensive waste problem by recycling 70% of major waste products by 2015, reports newspaper Xinhua.
"Major waste products" include metal, paper, plastic, glass, tires, cars and electronic devices.
"It’s extremely urgent to establish such a system; the absence of which not only prevents the recycling of resources but also poses an imminent threat to the environment," the government says.
China plans to develop a complete infrastructure for collecting, sorting, and recycling waste. It’s offering financial incentives to get private investors on board. And it’s developing policies that encourage manufacturers to design products from the start that can easily be recycled rather than dumped into landfills.
China Introduces National Plan to Control Groundwater Pollution
China will invest $5.5 billion in its first national plan on groundwater pollution control for 2011-2020. The plan covers measure to treat pollution as well as prevent further pollution.
This is the first time the country is working to stop municipal sewage, household garbage, industrial waste, fertilizers and pesticides from polluting water supplies.
The plan will spur growth in industries that treat groundwater pollution, which will be supported by favorable policies.
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