Thanks to ‘green’ solar and wind energy use as well as energy-saving building renovations, Dongyu Island in Bo’ao, Hainan, home of the Boao Forum for Asia, has achieved balanced energy production and usage. On Mar. 18, the Hainan Boao Near-Zero Carbon Demonstration Zone launch ceremony was held on Dongyu Island.

A near-zero carbon zone refers to an area where total annual net greenhouse gas emissions are being reduced towards the goal of zero.

Since 2022, Hainan Province and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China have been working together to set up the Boao demonstration zone, which includes 18 construction projects in eight categories including building greening, renewable resource utilization, and transportation greening within the zone’s 190.15 hectares. At present, the zone has achieved near-zero carbon emissions, overall energy use in renovated buildings has dropped by nearly 50%, and transportation energy use on Dongyu Island has dropped by 80%.

The Boao Near-Zero Carbon Demonstration Zone was recently certified as a zero-carbon operation area by the German Energy Agency. After passing inspection by a third party assessment agency, the zone was found to have met the Zero-Carbon Building Technical Standards for near-zero carbon areas.

At the demonstration zone launch, Ni Hong, director of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China said that the Boao Near-Zero Carbon Demonstration Zone is not only a concrete way to meet China’s dual carbon goals but also important in the development of a national ecological civilization pilot zone and the green, low-carbon development of both rural and urban construction, setting an excellent example for the green development of China’s housing and construction industries.

Feng Fei, secretary of the Hainan Province Party Committee, remarked that the Boao Near-Zero Carbon Demonstration Zone has achieved near-zero carbon emissions across the entire zone, which features a tropical maritime climate, combining green, low-carbon construction with economic and social development and exploring a practical, green, low-carbon development path.

On Mar. 15, the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Hainan Province issued the ‘Technical Standards for the Boao Near-Zero Carbon Demonstration Zone’, which highlight the practicality of zero-carbon renovation of construction areas and buildings in tropical climate zones. The publication focuses on the combination of China's zero-carbon goals and the multi-dimensional value goals of ecological civilization, with the Boao zone reaching internationally advanced levels according to expert evaluation, providing an excellent model for sustainable development and carbon neutral exploration in China.

The demonstration area features public water fountains incorporating China's advanced ultra-filtration technology and patented products. (Photo by Su Guichu)