10 Apr Redefining the long-term

I recently had the chance to visit China for the fifth time in my life. The first time was in the summer of 1999 and since then I’ve been able to witness at a distance the incredible change the country has gone through. It is possible to write about China ad infinitum, which clearly has many challenges yet to face and where, in common with most countries, there is a need for change, but we cannot overlook the impressive reduction in poverty, going from 88% of its population living in extreme poverty in 1981, to just 1.9% in 2013* (which means 800 million people!), through to its new, potential and necessary leadership on the international stage in respect of climate change, especially at a time when the USA has abandoned ship over this particular subject. [read more…]