Energy saving and emission reduction, along with addressing climate change, has become an urgent task of national development. It is also closely linked to every citizen’s daily life, what makes it a citizen obligation. Every citizen and every family need to take spontaneous actions to address the issue.

In order to encourage everyone to join in energy saving and emission reduction, many researchers, under the instruction of the Ministry of Science and Technology and led by Prof. Ge Quansheng from the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGSNRR,CAS), compiled A Citizens’ Booklet on Energy Saving and Emission Reduction in August. This booklet integrated the quantitative potential of energy saving and emission reduction of 36 activities in people’s daily life, involving many life aspects such as food, dressing, housing, transportation and utilization.

On September 1st, when the National Campaign on Energy Saving and Emission Reduction co-organized by 17 governmental departments was initiated in Beijing, the Booklet was distributed for the first time. From then on, it has been spreading across the country and playing an active role in this nationwide campaign.

The distribution of this booklet and part or full of its contents were reported by many nationwide media, such as China Central Television (CCTV), China Radio International (CRI), Science and Technology Daily, China Economic Net and Sina , needless to mention even more local media and professional websites. But not only that, this booklet even became a hot topic on public web forums and personal blogs. Till the beginning of October, it had been reprinted to the total number of about 100,000 copies, by an approximate statistics.

A new lifestyle, which can save energy and reduce emission, is becoming fashionable in Chinese life. More and more people choose casual dress when attending meetings and choose public traffic when going out, and more and more people oppose overpacked goods. It is certain that, as this positive trend is developing, Chinese people will have a much cleaner living space, and the world will see a more civilized China.

From: Research Center for Land Surface Systems