Rapid urbanization, motorization, and income growth in China are opening up enormous opportunities for local economies. At the same time, the challenges associated with the rapid growth of many Chinese cities are multiplying. In Beijing, the transport sector alone accounts for 26 percent of the city’s total carbon dioxide emissions, and it is expected to be the most rapidly growing source of greenhouse gases over the next ten years. Growing traffic congestion also imposes high economic costs: Beijing loses an estimated $1.6 billion annually, more than any other Chinese city. In order to curb congestion and address air quality issues, the city's leaders released a set of policies to cut vehicle emissions and industrial pollution in its five-year Clean Air Action Plan (2013-2017), listing urban transport as a priority.
Cleaning the Air in Chinese Cities
In 2014, FedEx and EMBARQ expanded the MAP project into China to help city leaders meet these goals. EMBARQ China is currently working to build capacity in Beijing's municipal government and assist multi-departmental efforts to reduce the transport sector's contributions to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The International Workshop on Sustainable Transport to Combat Air Pollution—hosted by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport (BMCT) and EMBARQ China and sponsored by FedEx—kicked off this work in August 2014.
