This aerial photo taken on Aug. 2, 2023, shows tourists drifting at Shapotou scenic spot in Zhongwei, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhang Keren)
YINCHUAN, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Wang Mingkai, an engineer from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China, takes immense satisfaction in driving his company towards sustainability and reaping additional revenue through its green initiatives.
The Ningxia Power Investment Cogeneration Co., Ltd., located in the regional capital city of Yinchuan, has supplied about 30 percent of the city's heating since its establishment in 2006.
By adopting more green energy in recent years, the company has greatly reduced its carbon emissions and registered a surplus of 1.7 million tonnes in its officially authorized emissions from 2019 to 2020.
"We have greatly reduced carbon emissions through technological innovation," said Wang. "The growing adoption of green energy, such as wind and solar power, has inspired us to pursue a greener path."
The company has achieved a green energy installed capacity of 52 percent, leading to an emission reduction of 800,000 tonnes over the past few years, and sold its carbon emission surplus at the major trading market in central China's Wuhan.
"We have earned 71.52 million yuan (about 9.98 million U.S. dollars) through the exchange market and expect to continue to benefit from it," he said.
Wang's company is among a growing number of energy enterprises in Ningxia that have been embracing green transformation. For years, the region has continued to beef up its power-generating infrastructure, taking advantage of its abundant wind and solar power.
Ningxia's installed green energy capacity ranks ninth in the country. Its per capita ownership of green energy is seven times higher than the national average.
In Yinchuan alone, energy enterprises have so far sold a total of 2.19 million tonnes of emission rights at the carbon trading market, earning 93 million yuan.
The local government has set up a reward fund for enterprises that maintain a good record of carbon emissions reduction and technological innovation in the relevant field.
"We have rewarded 1.2 million yuan to a number of enterprises that have led the way in cutting carbon emissions, and we expect more to follow," said Li Jia, an official of the ecological and environment department of Yinchuan City.
According to Li, oil, chemical, metallurgical, and construction material companies are encouraged to join the reform.
"Reducing carbon emissions is a collective effort that requires the participation of everyone, during which large enterprises should take the lead by adopting more green energy sources and embracing technological innovations," said Li Xuefeng, an official of the Yinchuan municipal government. ■
