Ma Jun
Ma Jun
Ma Jun, courtesy name Deheng, was a Chinese mechanical engineer and government official during the Three Kingdoms era of China. His most notable invention was that of the south-pointing chariot, a directional compass vehicle which actually had no magnetic function, but was operated by use of differential gears. It is because of this revolutionary devicethat Ma Jun is known as one of the most brilliant mechanical engineers and inventors of his day. The device was re-invented by many after Ma...
NationalityChinese
ProfessionEnvironmentalist
Date of Birth22 May 1968
CountryChina
China's environmental conundrums will not be solved by changes within government alone. New mechanisms are needed to allow the communities which may be affected by a given plan, and citizens concerned about the environment, to join in.
China's energy is very much focused on coal, and the economy is very focused on heavy industry, which is carbon intensive, so restructuring won't be easy.
China leads the world in energy consumption, carbon emissions, and the release of major air and water pollutants, and the environmental impact is felt both regionally and globally.
China is bearing the environmental cost for much of the world because China is the factory of the world.
We can check the system to find out whether a loan applicant has a poor credit record or has paid back previous loans to decide whether we will offer him a loan.
Greening the globalised manufacturing and sourcing will be the single biggest help multinationals could make to the tough pollution control in China and other developing countries.
We copied laws and regulations from western countries, but enforcement remains weak, and environmental litigation is still quite near impossible.
The government and central bank are determined to tighten and if they don't see the target being met, there could be more measures coming.
To deal with local pollution, China has put on the agenda the capping of coal, which has long been a sensitive issue.
Brands who come to China, often they just care about price - so they actually drive the suppliers to cut corners on environmental standards to win a contract.
Even the government understands that the environmental challenge is so big that no single agency can handle it. It needs collaboration among all the stakeholders - companies, governments, NGOs and the public. Public accountability will be the ultimate driving force.
At the end of the day, the government, local government all bow to public pressure.
Urban residents, most of them middle class, have a much better sense of their environmental rights, and they're willing to take to the streets.
What we aim to do, through public pressure, is help the environment protection bureau to enforce the law.