Taking the Environment on Board

By FLORENCE VALENDUC

CHINA has made ecological and environ- mental protection a national priority， being acutely aware that the country has to go to war against pollution. “We must firmly establish the concept of a socialist ecological civilization. We must develop a harmonious relationship between man and nature and do everything to protect the environment for future generations，” said President Xi Jinping.

It would be fascinating to see how this impacts everyday life in China， in terms of the response of ordinary people， results， and the state of ecological awareness.

Riding for Kicks

Chinas bike-sharing companies are hailed as an environmentally friendly alternative to the overcrowded public transportation system in most Chinese cities.

The arrival of dockless bikes in recent years is an innovation that has been unanimously welcomed in urban areas since its launch. Ofo Inc. was one of the first companies to launch a dockless e-bike-sharing scheme in Beijing. Shortly afterwards， other companies such as Mobike jumped on the bandwagon in major Chinese cities， and many other start-ups emerged. COVID-19 has also contributed to the success of this means of individual transportation： Hellobike reports that in all Chinese cities where it operates， so-called“long-distance” trips （more than 1.5 mile distance traveled） have doubled since April.

Nowadays， dockless bikes and electric vehicles are all the rage. According to Hellobike data， nearly 300 million trips per day were made on conventional bikes in the country in 2019， but more than twice as many trips were made on dockless bikes and electric scooters the same year， or about 700 million trips per day. These means of transportation have taken Beijing by storm. Noise pollution is almost a thing of the past as motorized two-wheelers have all but vanished.

The transition took place all the more quickly as Chinese manufacturers reacted swiftly to market demands and the trend of turning to a green transportation alternative. Companies such as NIU Technologies and Evoke Motorcycles have come up with prototypes and new models， and found ingenious ways of competing to meet the needs of users， thus winning their share of the electric market. Foreign companies are not lagging behind either. As early as 2010， Vespa caused a stir in Shanghai， while Peugeot opened a sales outlet in Nanjing. In addition， e-scooters are easily affordable in China at a price of somewhere ranging from US $300 to 600， making them a very cost-effective and ecological means of transportation.