A solar panel disc heats water in a kettle for school children in the Village Primary School, Dongxiang County, Gansu Province, China. Image: As the world gets caught up in the looming US-China trade war set to shake up the capital markets, a shadow has been cast over what is arguably the bigger, more important story of our times—China’s role in the sustainable development of our planet. When I began my professional career in China 15 years ago, evidence of business activity impacting the environment and society was already gaining prominence. What were deemed as quality control problems and shoddy health and safety practices ballooned into crises of epic proportions. Major scandals rooted in corruption and gross negligence were aplenty, and air pollution levels across the manufacturing zones where major cities were located was averaging hazardous levels for weeks on end. Coming back to China to live for a third time , it is an interesting period to be here again. Having witnessed its major cities transform from chaotic to cosmopolitan over two decades, it is clear that China has committed to cleaning up its act. This country may be one of superlatives, but the most significant one to […]
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