China IWM NAMA project presents its “Results-2019”

The year 2019 was eventful and inspiring, favouring project’s efforts in implementing its vision for improved municipal solid waste management in China. From policy support to GHG emission reductions – there is plenty of results and news to share.

First of all, in 2019 China IWM NAMA project got its website! The platform is thought to serve for knowledge and best practice exchange. All relevant presentations and brochures, including the most recent publications by the project team announced in November, can be found under the link “Knowledge Center”. Feel free to click and scroll around – the chances are, you will find a lot of useful information on the project, its demonstration municipalities, goals and approaches.

In 2019, the project team had a focus on policy advice and, thus, supported the revision of the “Pollution Control Standards for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills” by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) as well as contributed to the international workshop on EPR-related amendments to “The Law on the Prevention and Control of Solid Waste Pollution”.  The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MoHURD) has received project support with regard to new regulations on biological waste treatment, which is still “work in progress”.

In 2019, the NSP organised five capacity building events: three large scale events in Shanghai, Xi’an and Chongqing and two trainings for the private sector in Beijing. The latter focused on the business opportunities of a low-carbon transition. In total, project activities allowed to mobilize more than 400 waste sector stakeholders! Through its three awareness-raising campaigns, the NSP reached out to its most susceptible audience – primary school students. Beyond that, the NSP supported MoHURD during its study tour to Germany and the Netherlands, organizing discussions with European waste management and climate change experts.

In the field of technical advice, supported by some of the most prominent MSW management experts in in China and beyond, the NSP helped its demonstration municipalities to make waste management more efficient (LFG to electricity facility at a landfill site in Suzhou), more diversified (organic waste treatment plant in Lanzhou and small-scale composting plants in Suzhou) and less polluting (better methane recording at the Waste-to-Energy (WtE) facility in Taian). These efforts along with policy support and capacity-building activities paid out considerably: in 2019, due to improvements in their approach to municipal solid waste (MSW), the demo-cities of China IWM NAMA cumulatively emitted 0,5 million tCO₂eq less than in years before. This is equivalent to more than 100.000 passenger vehicles staying still for a year (check other equivalents here)!

In 2020, despite the challenging start of the year, the project plans to deep dive into the provision of technical assistance (TA) to the demonstration municipalities to amplify what has already been achieved. Apart from that, new studies, large-scale capacity building events and further awareness-raising activities are in the pipeline, so stay tuned!

(Featured Photo © Gary Chan on Unsplash)