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China’s thriving pandas are proof that economic growth is good for the environment

Bjorn Lomborg says endangered species, and nature in general, benefit when prosperity allows humans to think beyond their own survival

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Bjorn Lomborg says endangered species, and nature in general, benefit when prosperity allows humans to think beyond their own survival
The biggest threat to many animals is often habitat loss, typically related to poverty and lack of economic growth. Illustration: Craig Stephens
The biggest threat to many animals is often habitat loss, typically related to poverty and lack of economic growth. Illustration: Craig Stephens
Giant pandas are among the world’s favourite creatures, becoming viral video sensations simply for sneezing or rolling around cutely. In a year with seemingly little cheer at times, there was good news for all who love the bears. That came when the International Union for Conservation of Nature ­removed them from the endangered species list – reducing their threat status to “vulnerable”.

Perils facing iconic animals like these have often been used by environmental campaigners to deliver an alarming message: the planet is going to hell in a handbasket. We shouldn’t yet consider pandas completely safe. But there are some clear and perhaps surprising lessons from this and other success stories. Chief among these is that economic growth can be good for endangered species and, more broadly, for the environment.

Giant pandas taken off global ‘endangered’ list as population rebounds

And the flip side of that lesson – as we saw when the vulnerability status of giraffes was increased this month – is that the biggest threat to many animals is often habitat loss, typically related to poverty and lack of economic growth.

Watch: Cuteness overload as 23 panda cubs make their debut in Chengdu

Yet, it is easy to get the impression that a country getting richer degrades from an idyllic paradise to an industrial wasteland, where pollutants are emitted at will, and endangered animals and native plants are trampled in a race for growth.

Giraffes added to extinction watch list as conservationists warn against ‘dangerous’ complacency

This thinking is showcased by environmental NGO Worldwatch Institute, which claimed in its 2015 “State of the World” report that “economic growth drives most environmental problems” and “growth itself needs to be abandoned as a national goal”.

Watch: Introduction to Worldwatch Institute ‘State of the World 2015’

The truth is that poverty is often a driver of environmental harm. If a country is poor, it can ill afford cleaner technology or investment in cleaning up. The most polluted places on Earth are almost invariably the poorest.

The truth is that poverty is often a driver of environmental harm

As industrialisation starts, some environmental problems get worse. Consider air pollution, by far the biggest environmental killer in the world.

China, home to the giant panda, has seen much higher levels of outdoor air pollution since its rapid industrialisation. In 1990, annual outdoor air pollution deaths stood at almost 600,000, but these have increased to 900,000.

Pigeons silhouetted against heavy smog as Beijing battles heavy winter pollution, on December 19. Photo: Reuters
Pigeons silhouetted against heavy smog as Beijing battles heavy winter pollution, on December 19. Photo: Reuters
However, at the same time, an even more significant environmental problem has been improved.

With ­increasing incomes, far fewer households have to resort to burning wood and coal to cook and keep warm. This has reduced annual deaths from indoor air pollution, from 1.1 million in 1990 to 800,000 ­today. In total, air pollution deaths have remained fairly constant. Taking into account China’s much larger population today, the risk of dying from air pollution has actually decreased in the country, and this is because of increasing wealth.

Surveys show that, as the Chinese become richer, they are also becoming more concerned about the environment
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