Climate Watch

Xinjiang’s Taklamakan Desert, one of the largest sand seas on Earth, is gaining a new identity. Once known only for its shifting dunes, it’s now surrounded by shelterbelts of trees planted through China’s Three-North afforestation program. And alongside this green belt, a new landscape is taking shape — solar farms glinting under the desert sun and wind turbines rising against the horizon. In this episode of Climate Watch, Fei Fei speaks with Jason Smith, host of The Bridge to China Podcast, about his journey to Xinjiang and how the desert is being transformed into a frontier of forests and clean energy.

You can find Jason's podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bridge-to-china/id1600232246 or https://www.youtube.com/@thebridgetoChina

At the UN Climate Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled new climate targets for 2035, pledging to cut economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by 7 to 10% from peak levels, expand wind and solar to 3,600 gigawatts, and grow forests and carbon markets. Beyond the numbers, what message is China sending to the world? In this episode, Fei Fei speaks with Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, to unpack the ambition, challenges, and global implications of China’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions.

Chinese and Brazilian institutes and universities are intensifying cooperation to jointly address climate change impacts, including on agriculture and food. With agriculture being one of the most solid pillars, the two countries are complementary in advantages and demand in further boosting food security while protecting the environment. In this episode, Zhou Fang spoke with André Guimarães, executive director of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute to dig deeper into their cooperation with China Jiliang University. We explore how the new partnership aims to identify risks, propose adaptation strategies, and provide solutions. We also discuss how China and Brazil are shouldering their responsibility to lead Global South efforts in climate action.

We often think going paperless is eco-friendly—but is our digital life as green as we believe? Every email, file, and cloud service relies on data centers, and together they produce significant carbon emissions. This hidden impact is called digital pollution. In this episode of Climate Watch, Fei Fei explores how our everyday online habits affect the environment and speaks with Ian Chew, founder of Greenie Web, a Singapore-based startup working to clean up the digital world.

Are data centers just energy hogs — or the future of smart grids?

https://radio.cgtn.com/podcast/news/5/Are-data-centers-just-energy-hogs-or-the-future-of-smart-grids/2716184

China has released its first central government roadmap for the national carbon market, marking a turning point in the country’s climate policy. The plan sets out milestones to expand coverage across major emitting industries by 2027 and build a fully functional cap-and-trade system by 2030. In this episode, Fei Fei sits down with carbon market analyst Qin Yan to unpack what these targets mean in practice. We explore how China can boost the vitality of its carbon market, what challenges industries may face, and how the system could align with global carbon trading under the Paris Agreement.

In Quanzhou, oysters are more than food — they’re part of the local history. For centuries, oyster shells have been used to reinforce bridges, build storm-proof homes, and shape coastal life. This episode explores how 11th-century engineers employed oysters in the construction of the Luoyang Bridge, with insights from historians. We also hear from Professor Cai Lizhe of Xiamen University and Lin Jianyi from the Chinese Academy of Sciences on how oyster shells are used today to restore soils, filter water, and even cut carbon. From ancient ingenuity to modern climate action, discover how the humble oyster has sustained people and places.

Many extreme weather events are now occurring in ways that defy traditional understanding.

This year, extreme weather events have come one after another: record-breaking torrential rains, unprecedented heatwaves reaching 50 degrees Celsius and devastating wildfires raging in many parts of the world.

In this episode, Zhou Fang spoke with Professor Gao Xiaolu from Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture on these extreme weather events and China’s resilience in building against natural disasters.

We take a closer look at how China has been addressing these extreme weather events through early warning systems, urban planning and technological innovation among other areas.

We also discuss how the public can better respond to these events by raising awareness and taking more solid action.

What if the secret to protecting cities from floods, boosting biodiversity, and improving livelihoods was right outside our door? In this episode of Climate Watch, Fei Fei explores how China’s “Two Mountains" concept plays out in real life, visiting Quanzhou Bay — home to centuries-old ports and thriving mangroves, and beyond. Meet the researchers, fishermen, and city planners restoring these wetlands and discover why they’re vital for climate resilience. How can “lucid waters and lush mountains” truly be worth gold and silver? And what lessons can they offer for building greener, more resilient cities?

Subscribe for more stories from Quanzhou City.

What are the most promising technologies driving global decarbonization—and what’s holding them back? In this episode, Fei Fei speaks with Professor Wang Can from Tsinghua University about mainstream solutions, emerging innovations, and the roadblocks slowing progress. We also explore China’s strategy for cutting carbon emissions and where it still needs to catch up. This episode is part of The Climate Thinkers, a special series of conversations with leading researchers to explore the latest in green innovation—starting here in China and expanding outward to the world.

Climate has sounded new alarms this summer.

In just seven days, Beijing and Hebei were drenched by a year’s worth of rain. Meanwhile, temperatures in Henan, Sichuan, and Xinjiang have repeatedly soared past 40°C.

In today’s episode, we speak with Ma Jun, Director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, about what these weather events reveal about climate change—and how we should respond.