Qinghai takes huge strides toward green future(5)

Gongba Karge, leader of an environmental protection NGO in Qinghai, loads garbage collected with other volunteers. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Major opportunity

The drive to build Qinghai into a major base for clean energy production has already delivered tangible benefits for local residents by creating more jobs and expanding income channels.

Ran Qing, mayor of Golmud, said the city is now embracing the best period in its history of development.

Golmud, which leads the nation with its reserves of lithium, potassium and magnesium, has seen its businesses expand their production capacity, with demand surging for raw materials used to produce new energy vehicles, or NEVs.

"Such opportunities arose after the nation announced its commitment to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2060," the mayor said. As an example, he cited the production of lithium carbonate, a vital raw material for batteries used in NEVs. This year, such production is expected to rise from 60,000 metric tons to 160,000 tons, or one-third of the nation's total production capacity.

Qinghai's installed capacity for clean energy, including hydropower and solar energy, has reached 42.25 million kilowatts, accounting for 91.6 percent of its overall energy structure, ranking first nationwide in this respect.

Residents are also benefiting from more ways to earn a living.