Big Data, People, and Low-Carbon Cities

Abstract

When surveying the extent to which cities around the world are green- ing, there is a striking fact about the Chinese experience. It presents both the worst and best facets of the process. The worst is encapsulated by the environmental toll taken on the country, and particularly its cities, in its three decades of high-speed growth—unbreathable air, polluted and undrinkable water, loss of soil, build-up of heavy metal contamination, and many other such problems. On the other hand, and certainly linked to this catalogue of problems, China is also leading the way in terms of solutions. It promotes eco-cities that take sustainability as their develop- ment model, and set performance goals in terms of conservation and circulation of resources, utilization of renewable energies, and financing by novel instruments such as green bonds. The issue is: which trend is leading in China?