ECOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
As an "international garden city," Shenzhen is accelerating the construction of an innovation demonstration zone under the national sustainable development agenda, implementing the strictest ecological environmental protection system, to create a safe and efficient space for development, a comfortable and livable living space, and an ecological space of lucid waters and blue sky. Shenzhen initiated the "Mountain-sea Vistas" plan to build a citywide multi-level outdoor trail system that connects mountains, forests and coastlines. Currently, Shenzhen has built a greenway network of about 3,406 kilometers, and the density of greenways ranks first in Guangdong.
The city's forest area is 788.16 square kilometers, and the greening coverage of the built-up area reaches 43.09%. A total of 1,290 parks of various types and 3,406 kilometers of greenways have been built.
From January to December 2023, the average concentration of PM2.5 in Shenzhen was 18 micrograms per cubic meter, with an AQI compliance rate of 97.8% and air quality ranking first among first-tier cities in China and achieving advanced levels by developed countries’ standard.
Shenzhen is the first city in the world to have all buses and taxis powered by electricity, and it is also the city with the most complete new energy vehicle industry chain in the world.
INTERNATIONAL MANGROVE CENTER
The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14) in Switzerland's Geneva officially passed a draft resolution on building an international mangrove center in Shenzhen on Nov. 13, 2022. Shenzhen has been carrying out multiple wetland protection strategies in recent years, improving the classified wetland protection system. As Shenzhen's city tree, mangrove is one of the important wetland species. Mangroves are mainly found in the Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve and partly in Shajing, Fuyong and Xixiang in Bao'an District, Shahe in Nanshan District, and Baguang, Kuichong and Nan'ao in Dapeng New Area.
There have been 17 wetland parks, including one national-level and 10 city-level parks.
The city has 296.18 hectares of mangroves.
The Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve has been listed as one of the key protection organizations by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is one of the Chinese organizations of the Man and Biosphere Programme.
GREEN DEVELOPMENT PATTERN
Shenzhen's new development model takes ecological conservation as a priority and highlights the coordinated development of the land and the sea, strengthened joint protection and management of local ecology, and increased capacity in disaster prevention. The city promotes the development of green industries and aims to create a new pattern of green development to meet the goals of peaking carbon dioxide emissions and achieving carbon neutrality.
In the 2021 China Urban Green Competitiveness Index Report released by UNIDO-UNEP, Shenzhen ranked first among 289 cities in China, and ranked second in the China Urban Green Building Development Competitiveness Index Report.
Shenzhen has taken the lead in piloting the carbon markets and established the most complete carbon trading regulations and system in China, accelerating the climate finance reform.