Shanghai ranks 3rd in China for eco-friendly and smart development

Shanghai ranks third among cities in China for the quality of its green and smart urban development, a new report shows.

It follows Beijing and Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, as a leading Chinese city for its eco-friendly and intelligent development, said the Report on the Development of Green and Smart Cities in China (2021).

The report evaluated cities on factors such as per capita GDP consumption, the number of polluting companies, garbage treatment services, online government services and smart transport constructions. It was released at the Shanghai Top Forum in northwest Putuo District.

Other leading Chinese cities included Guangzhou and Zhuhai in Guangdong, Hangzhou in neighboring Zhejiang Province, Nanjing and Suzhou in neighboring Jiangsu, as well as Nanchang in east Jiangxi and Wuhan in central Hubei.

The range of green and smart urban construction in China is unbalanced between east and west regions, said Zeng Gang, head of Urban Development Research Institute at East China Normal University.

"Provincial capitals and coastal cities have higher standards of green and smart development, while most other regions remain at a relatively low level," Zeng told the forum.

Zeng said innovation and ecological protection are the two pillars necessary for high-quality development in the new era.

"Chinese cities should take advantage of the fourth industrial revolution to achieve carbon neutrality and promote digital and artificial intelligence technologies," he added.

Taopu Smart City, where the forum was hosted, is intended to become a pilot zone to achieve carbon neutrality, Ying Mingde, executive vice director of the smart city's development and construction office, told the forum.

The smart city, being developed on what was one of Shanghai's most polluting industrial sites, will explore a new energy-saving and green development path, Ying said.

It will feature 2.08 square kilometers of commercial and office facilities, 760,000 square meters of scientific research centers and 1.1 square kilometers of high-end residential areas.

Three major industries – smart technology, intelligent research and development and life health – are being developed.