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Green development emphasized at local “two sessions”

Published

3 years ago

March 6, 2023

By Liu Fawei

Green has become a defining feature of China in the new era.

Green development and low-carbon transition remained focuses in the government work reports recently delivered by Chinese provinces during the local “two sessions,” the annual meetings of provincial-level lawmakers and political advisors.

“Green development,” “carbon reduction,” and “pollution reduction” were buzzwords during the meetings.

According to statistics from China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, in 2022, the emissions of major pollutants in China kept a continuous decline, and the country has hit the targets in improving ecological and environmental quality. This marked hard-won achievements in the country’s ecological and environmental protection.

Beijing, recording a higher number of days with a blue sky, has delivered satisfying performance in green development.

Over the past five years, the capital of China has made earnest efforts to make its sky bluer. The average annual concentration of fine particles in the air dropped to 30 micrograms per cubic meter, a 48.3 percent decline from 2017, which is hailed as “Beijing miracle” by the United Nations Environment Program.

Hebei, a neighboring province of Beijing, is seeing a future full of vitality thanks to its afforestation efforts. So far, the province’s forest coverage has been raised to 35.6 percent, and the Saihanba mechanized forest farm situated in the northernmost part of the province has won the Land for Life Award of the United Nations.

In central China’s Hubei province, chemical engineering clusters along the Yangtze River are no longer a headache today. The province has shut down, overhauled, relocated, and transformed 452 chemical enterprises along the river and inspected 12,480 sewage draining outlets into the river, 9,067 of which have been renovated.

In east China’s Anhui province, the proportion of surface water sections with good water quality under national assessment has improved from 71.7 percent to 86.1 percent. Phased results have been achieved thanks to a 10-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River. Today, the ecological environment on the river is getting better and better.

In recent years, China has firmly upheld the belief that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. It has prioritized eco-environmental conservation and green development, promoted the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, and achieved modernization based on harmony between humanity and nature. Wonders have been accomplished in eco-environmental protection and green development.

At present, the entire country is passionate about advancing the green transition. Many provinces have vowed, in government work reports, to promote green and low-carbon development, strive for the green transition of traditional industries and focus on green sectors.

Beijing plans to promote green and low-carbon development of industrial parks, strengthen low-carbon pilot programs, and accelerate the application of advanced low-carbon technologies such as renewable energy and integrated buildings.

Southwest China’s Yunnan province said it would vigorously promote the circular economy in the next five years, build centers for the comprehensive use of massive solid waste and industrial resources and set up a batch of zero-carbon demonstration parks.

Inner Mongolia autonomous region in north China encouraged industrial enterprises to use green electricity, techniques and materials, and to build more low-carbon and zero-carbon plants.

The country’s vigorous efforts to develop green industries are generating new opportunities for the ecological and environmental protection industries. According to the estimation by China Association of Environmental Protection Industry (CAPEI), the Chinese environmental protection industry reported revenue of around 2.2 trillion yuan ($317.5 billion) last year, up 1.9 percent from 2021.

CAPEI president Guo Chengzhan told People’s Daily that thanks to the implementation of the fiscal, financial, and investment policies as well as other measures to stabilize growth and promote development deployed by the Central Economic Work Conference, the investment in the environmental protection industry will experience obvious growth this year from 2022.

Realizing the “dual carbon” goals, or peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060, is a complicated and systematic mission. To achieve these goals, many provincial-level regions in China are focusing on the green and low-carbon transition of the energy structure.

On the one hand, many provinces said they would work to improve the utilization of coal and other traditional energies. Hebei province vowed to accelerate energy restructuring, promote clean and efficient utilization of coal, and expand installed capacity of renewable energy by 10 million kW. Shanxi province also stressed improving the clean and efficient utilization of coal and finding a better balance between the use of coal and new energy.

On the other hand, provinces are also planning to promote the development of new energy power generation and other relevant industries.

South China’s Guangdong province proposed to accelerate the building of a new type of energy system, develop offshore power, pumped-storage hydroelectricity, and other new and clean energy, advance the progress of storage battery projects and vigorously develop new energy storage industries.

East China’s Zhejiang province vowed to be a pioneer in building a new type of energy system and construct coastal nuclear power, pumped-storage hydroelectricity, offshore wind power, and oil and gas storage bases.

Anhui province said it will launch a program that aims to double its installed capacity of wind power, promote the development of the whole industrial chain of the hydrogen energy sector, and improve the installed capacity of renewable energy by at least 4 million kW.

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Kwara: Ifelodun Travellers Transport System Revived

Published

9 hours ago

August 19, 2026

Our Reporter

As Council Signs MoU With P&A Contract Ltd

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Ifelodun local Government, under the leadership of Hadji Abdulrasheed Femi Yusuf, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with P & A Contract Limited for the construction of a modern motor park in Amoyo, as the Council moves to revive the Ifelodun Travellers transport system and improve transportation within the Local Government.

Speaking during the MoU signing ceremony at the Council s Contact Office in Amoyo, the Chairman explained that the decision to construct the motor park was driven by the need for Ifelodun Local Government to establish its own transport identity, intended to ease people’s transportation problem.

He recalled that residents travelling to and from Ifelodun had, over the years, relied on transport facilities at Offa Garage and Maraba in Ilorin, stressing the need to create a dedicated transport hub that would serve the people of the Local Government.

“At some point in the history of Ifelodun Local Government, we had Ifelodun Travellers, which does not exist anymore. I don’t think there is anything wrong with bringing that identity back to the limelight. Now, we want to add value to that identity,” the Chairman said.

He added that the Council was also working with relevant stakeholders to bring in 10 units of Korope buses, which would commence operations as soon as possible.

“We are working with the NURTW, Kwara State Chapter, for guidance and to ensure that the operation runs smoothly,” he added.

The Supervisory Councillor for Works and Infrastructure Development, Mrs. Kolo Rebecca, explained that the proposed park would feature several amenities, including a garage, warehouse, 100-unit shopping complex, parking spaces and general toilets.

She said the facilities were designed to boost economic activities, improve the image of the Local Government and provide a more convenient transportation system for residents.

According to her, the initiative is also in line with the efforts of the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to take governance and development directly to the grassroots.

The contractor, Mallam Jimoh Toheeb Abolore, assured the Local Government of the prompt execution of the project, promising that the construction would meet the required standards and contribute positively to the image and development of Ifelodun Local Government.

Those in attendance included the Vice Chairman, Hon. Nike Ajibola; Secretary to the Local Government, Dr. Kamil Akorede; DPM, Mallam Ayinde Salman; LGT, Mallam Usman Waheed; Chief of Staff to the Chairman, Chief Ademola Zubair; Head of Works, Engr. Awodi Muhammad; Land officer, Tola Kadir and other Special Assistants.

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Lawyer Demands Release of Detained Kano Blogger, Maryam Shehu

Published

1 day ago

August 18, 2026

Our Reporter

By Hassan Agboola

A lawyer and human rights activist, Hamza Nuhu Dantani, has called for the immediate release of Kano-based blogger, Maryam Shehu, who he said has been in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for almost 30 days.

Dantani, in a statement on Monday, said the prolonged detention of Shehu was becoming difficult to reconcile with the rule of law and provisions of the 1999 Constitution, particularly her fundamental right to personal liberty.
He questioned why Shehu should remain in detention for nearly 30 days, particularly over an offence he described as ordinarily bailable.

“How on earth can a person be detained for almost 30 days and counting, particularly in relation to an offence that is ordinarily bailable, without meaningful consideration of her liberty and constitutional rights?” he asked.
Dantani said the EFCC’s powers to investigate did not give the commission the right to detain a suspect indefinitely, punish her before trial or disregard her fundamental rights.

He also criticised the alleged practice of photographing persons in EFCC custody and publishing their images online while they remain presumed innocent.
Citing Section 36(5) of the Constitution, Dantani said the law guarantees the presumption of innocence until a suspect is proven guilty by a competent court.

He warned that publicly portraying suspects as criminals before trial could amount to subjecting them to public punishment and humiliation.
“The EFCC is a law-enforcement institution. It must therefore be the first institution to demonstrate obedience to law. It cannot demand respect for law from citizens while appearing to disregard constitutional safeguards itself,” he said.

Dantani urged the commission to either charge Shehu before a competent court if it has credible evidence against her or release her immediately
.
“We call on EFCC to respect the Constitution, respect presumption of innocence and respect fundamental right to personal liberty. Investigation is not conviction. Detention is not punishment. And an allegation is not guilt,” he said.

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Cristiano Ronaldo’s Comment on Lionel Messi’s Tribute to His Dad Becomes Most-Liked Instagram Comment

Published

1 day ago

August 18, 2026

Our Reporter

By Fabian Apechihin

Cristiano Ronaldo’s heartfelt message to Lionel Messi following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, has reportedly become the most-liked comment in Instagram history.

Jorge Messi died on August 7 in Rosario, Argentina, aged 68. Five days later, Messi paid tribute to his late father in an emotional Instagram post featuring a photo of the pair.

In the post, Messi wrote, “Te amo, pa” — meaning “I love you, Dad” — alongside a lengthy tribute reflecting on his father’s influence and the pain of losing him.

Among the many reactions from fans, celebrities and fellow footballers was a message from Ronaldo.

“Un abrazo enorme para ti y los tuyos en estos duros momentos, Leo. Mucha fuerza,” Ronaldo wrote, which translates to: “A huge hug to you and yours in these tough times, Leo. Much strength.”

Ronaldo’s comment reportedly attracted more than 6.86 million likes and over 86,000 comments, making it the most-liked comment on Instagram.

The previous record was also held by Ronaldo, whose comment on Kylian Mbappé’s announcement of his move to Real Madrid reportedly received more than five million likes.

Other football stars also expressed their condolences to Messi. Neymar Jr.’s message, translated as “Much strength for you and your family. Big hug,” reportedly received more than 1.6 million likes, while David Beckham’s comment expressing support for Messi and his family attracted more than 300,000 likes.

In his tribute, Messi described his father’s death as difficult to comprehend, saying he struggled to accept that he would no longer see or speak with him.

Messi also recalled how his father had encouraged him to play at the 2026 World Cup despite his deteriorating health. He said his father had hoped to watch him compete and had planned to travel if his condition improved.

According to Messi, he had promised his father that Argentina would reach the final so he could be there. Although Argentina reached the final, his father was unable to attend.

Reflecting on the loss, Messi said he had wanted to win the tournament and bring the trophy to his father but ultimately struggled physically during the competition.

The emotional tribute highlighted the close bond between Messi and his father and the profound impact of his loss on the football superstar.