In Tianjin eco-city, green development drives economic value

⭐ Join our community and access the best we offer!

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Macau Business or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: China’s China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City is showcasing a large-scale experiment in sustainable urban living, where infrastructure, energy systems and daily routines are designed around climate and resource efficiency

🔭 The context: Built on a former saline wasteland, the eco-city was launched in 2008 as a joint project between China and Singapore to create a replicable model of low-carbon urban development
• The city operates under a detailed indicator system covering environmental health, resource efficiency and economic growth, with 100% green buildings and a minimum 20% share of renewable energy
• It has implemented large-scale innovations such as underground pneumatic waste systems, where sorted waste is transported via sealed pipes and reused for recycling or energy production
• Green design extends across the city, with over 12 million square metres of greenery, more than 40 parks, and urban planning that reduces heat through “blue-green corridors”

🌍 Why it matters: The project demonstrates how climate action can be embedded into economic systems and urban governance rather than treated as a trade-off with growth
• Businesses and public institutions are incentivised to use 100% renewable electricity through bulk purchasing and on-site solar, cutting both emissions and costs
• The city is also measuring “gross ecosystem product” (GEP), integrating the value of nature into economic decision-making alongside traditional GDP

⏭️ What’s next: The eco-city is being scaled into a national green development demonstration zone, with a focus on expanding clean energy, green industry and smart infrastructure
• Policymakers are positioning it as a blueprint for other cities facing the dual challenge of economic growth and decarbonisation
• Future efforts will require continued investment in energy systems, urban design and governance frameworks that align environmental and economic goals

📈 One stat: The eco-city’s gross ecosystem product (GEP) reached 11.1 billion yuan in 2024, about 21 times higher than at the start of construction

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance — carbon credit purchases, total emissions, and climate targets of thousands of companies

Click for more news covering the latest on environmental sustainability