Shanghai’s Strive to Excel in Climate Change Adaptation and Low-Carbon Promises: A Model to Follow?

The subtitle of Shanghai’s latest Master Plan (2017–2035) is “Striving for an Excellent Global City.” According to this plan, Shanghai wants to compete, and possibly surpass, other global cities such as New York, London, Paris, Singapore, and Tokyo in terms of economy, image, and quality of life. The plan’s authors state that “the world has stepped into an era of ecological civilization that puts environmental friendliness and humanistic approach first;” Shanghai aims “to play the pioneering role in the reform and opening-up into this new era and set up the pace for innovation and development.” To achieve its aims, the Master Plan includes ecological ambitions and promises, such as a five percent reduction of total carbon emissions, a halving of particulate matter emissions, a ban on raw waste landfills, and the development of more than 300 square kilometers of new green structures, all to be realized before 2035.

This chapter highlights the tension between China’s push towards growth and urbanization against the need to safeguard its cities from environmental threats. As will be described, this tension has played out in stark terms in Shanghai, where leaders are grappling with how to advance their development objectives, which have historically relied on reclaiming wetlands, while adapting to rising seas and strengthening storms.