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HEFEI－Green development conference attendees in Huangshan city in East China's Anhui province earlier this month had a new experience. The event was "zero-carbon" and paper-free. Unlike traditional meetings, attendees of the 2021 Xin'an River Green Development Forum and Ecological Products Expo did not receive any paper documents, but were asked to scan a QR code to receive all of the conference schedules and guides electronically on their smart devices. Hotels for the attendees did not provide disposable toiletries and would not change towels and bedding unless necessary. While electric vehicles were provided to transport conference delegates, they were also encouraged to use ride-sharing bikes or take public transportation. During the conference, attendees received bottled water with a strip attached for users to indicate to cleaners whether or not the water was finished with. If it was ready for disposal, then cleaners would take away the bottles and use any unfinished water to complete their daily tasks. "Over 555 metric tons of carbon emissions generated during the conference could eventually be neutralized as the conference organizer purchased carbon sinks from a State-owned forest," says Sun Yong, mayor of Huangshan city. The "zero-carbon" conference, the first of its kind in the province, is a new attempt to boost green development. It is also a part of the country's efforts to fulfill its commitment to peaking its carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. Huangshan city is known for Mount Huangshan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its magnificent natural beauty. More than 1.2 million tourists from home and abroad visit it annually. Apart from the city proper, rural areas around Huangshan have also joined in with green development initiatives. Yu Zhujin, 66, lives in Qiankou village. Yu is a regular patron of the "ecological supermarket" in the village. She doesn't buy goods from it but exchanges the recyclable waste she collected for goods. The rules of the exchange are written on the wall－five batteries and 30 cigarette packets are worth a point, a bag of salt is worth two and a bottle of detergent is worth four. "In the beginning, I picked up plastic bags and cigarette butts off the ground to exchange for goods. Now it has become a habit. I collect garbage when I see it. It's about environmental protection, not just to exchange for something," Yu says. So far, there are more than 170 of these ecological supermarkets scattered around the rural areas of Huangshan, playing a significant role in increasing the participation of villagers in environmental protection. Rural areas have now become cleaner and tidier. "Nearly 1,700 households have taken part in the activity since the ecological supermarket came to our town. So far, more than 50 tons of garbage has been exchanged for goods," says Yin Tongsheng, who works in Qiankou town, Huangshan city. Xinhua
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