A “carbon reduction revolution” is quietly happening on the world-class ecological island. As the major ecological resources clustering area in Shanghai and important bearing space of constructing “ecological city”, Chongming persists in breaking the old fixed mode to create, seizes new opportunities and lays out new tracks with the purposes of promoting the construction of Chongming Carbon Neutralization Island, Changxing Low-carbon Island and Hengsha Zero-carbon Island and striving to set a good example for the nation to achieve the "Double Carbon" goal under the guide of ecological civilization thought of Xi Jinping.

Chongming is a large agricultural region, and rice is one of the most important carbon sink resources. How can a grain of rice achieve low-carbon, zero-carbon or even negative carbon from planting, growth to management?

Hengsha Island, with the goal of building a zero-carbon island, is taking the lead. The first carbon comprehensive laboratory in Yangtze River Estuary, Chongming was built in an 800-mu paddy field without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The laboratory further quantitatively monitors the carbon emissions during the growth of rice and provides data support for carbon sink agriculture.

In the laboratory, researchers conducted experiments on rice growth samples under different fertilization doses. According to the scientific researchers, each crop has a suitable range of fertilization. Excessive fertilization is not only useless, but also increases carbon emissions. Their work is to accelerate the achievement of the goal of zero carbon through more scientific means and exploring more optimized emission reduction and carbon sequestration measures in the agricultural field.

The realization of the "Double Carbon" is the result of the full participation of residents. In some public places on Hengsha Island, farmers' roofs are equipped with photovoltaic panels. The electric power consumption of a single building can not only achieve self-sufficiency, but also obtain an additional income.

At present, many communities on Hengsha Island have taken the initiative to build low-carbon demonstration areas and are moving towards the goal of a zero-carbon community. In the whole region, new energy public transportation is fully covered, roads and public lighting are energy-saving.The community has also established an ecological integrity system to record all low-carbon behaviors in the region, so as to lead the people to actively practice green life.

The implementation of emission reduction and carbon sequestration in agriculture and the encouragement of farmers to use rooftop photovoltaic power generation are an epitome of Chongming's efforts to build a carbon neutralization demonstration area.

Over the past 20 years, Chongming has shut down nearly a thousand heavily polluting enterprises with large energy consumption, laying a good foundation for carbon reduction. Under the green guidance of ecological development, we focus on the energy structure, build a new power system, and promote clean energy to replace fossil energy. In 2018, the first unit of Shanghai Shenergy Chongming Gas Power Plant generated electricity, which played a leading and exemplary role in the application of natural gas clean energy. The complementary photovoltaic projects with fishery and agriculture in Chenjia Town, Luhua Town and Hengsha Township have been successively completed and put into operation, adding a great dynamic to the construction of carbon neutralization island.

It is reported that at present, the installed capacity of Chongming renewable energy has exceeded 570,000 kW, and the power generation of renewable energy accounts for over 30% of the total social electricity sales in the region. In other words, about one third of the electricity used by Chongming people now is green electricity that does not emit carbon, which is the highest proportion in Shanghai.

"Clearing" enterprises and projects with high pollution and high energy consumption does not mean only reducing carbon but not developing. Chongming boasts a forest coverage rate of 30.05%, and the number of natural wetlands is no less than 248,000 hectares. Forest carbon sequestration can offset 15% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the region. Chongming gives full play to its ecological advantages and builds a new development pattern. It seizes new opportunities for development in the fields of energy, industry, transportation and construction, and lays out a new track for carbon reduction.

Du Huanzheng, responsible professor of the School of Environment and Sustainable Development of Tongji University, introduced that biomass resources abound in Chongming. Making use of these resources to turn them into new energy is of great benefit to Chongming to build a carbon neutralization demonstration area with world influence.

With the successive introduction and support of the plan outline of Chongming's world-class ecological island, construction work plan of carbon neutralization demonstration area and other policies and regulations, Chongming has always adhered to ecological priority, comprehensively promoted the organic integration of carbon neutralization and ecological construction. As for the industrial field, Chongming vigorously develops the "Five New" Ecological Industry (new agriculture in modern times, new marine intelligent manufacturing, new ecological culture and tourism, new vitality and health, new green technology), and promoted high-end green intelligent manufacturing. In the field of transportation, new energy buses and taxis are fully covered. In the construction field, Chongming promotes the application of green low-carbon building materials. In terms of lifestyle, we advocate public transport and shared travel to form a simple, moderate, green and low-carbon life. It is common practice to reduce waste by classification.

Ding Zhenxin, deputy director of Chongming District Development and Reform Commission, introduced that in the future, Chongming will also transform the work of energy conservation and double carbon into the development of productivity, attract a number of carbon neutralization research institutions and industrial projects, promote the accumulation of funds, talents and projects, and help build a world-class ecological island.

From breaking through the encirclement and seeking change in adjusting high energy consumption industries, to exploring the "Five New" Ecological Industries, from seizing the opportunity to take up new track of the double carbon to benchmarking with the "Five Economies" (innovative economy, service economy, open economy, headquarters economy and flow economy), Chongming aims to build a carbon neutralization demonstration zone with world influence, and strive to make due contributions to Shanghai's leading achievement of carbon peak and carbon neutralization as soon as possible.