How pollution-choked China is seeking a new energy mix

ETHICAL

Xavier Chollet, senior investment manager of the Pictet-Clean Energy fund, takes a closer look at how the superpower is trying to curb its soaring pollution levels.

With every crisis comes opportunity. While an alarming spike in China’s air pollution threatens public health, it could also hasten the country’s adoption of clean energy in all its forms. This will be a welcome development for the millions whose lives are blighted by choking smog – and will be encouraging news for investors in clean energy.  In January, Beijing’s pollution levels – as measured by the volume of particulate matter in one cubic metre of air, known as PM 2.5 – soared to a 900 microgrammes, a staggering 40 times higher than what the World Health Organization considers safe. ...