Can Xi make China beautiful again?

Trump’s recent visit to China softened US-China trade tensions but the two countries’ stances on the environment continue to diverge. We look this month at how Chinese President Xi Jinping is fighting to make China beautiful again. After decades of growth, China’s area of contaminated land is larger than the UK. Prof Biswas & Tortajada look at what policies the country is implementing to change this. Meanwhile, we review key environmental & water messages from China’s 19th National Congress, where Xi called for harmony between the environment and economic growth. This edict was echoed by the new Minister of Environmental Protection, who outlined the Ministry’s achievements and future plans. Singapore is also a country taking action as Utrecht University’s Kirchherr and Circular Economy Academy’s Santen show. Global supply chains mean the private sector also has a part to play. Logan and Ding from the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs share which brands have performed best in the 4th Corporate Information Transparency Index. And Water Foundry’s CEO, Sarni offers his thoughts on what corporates can do to go beyond water stewardship, which is no longer enough. Given Xi’s actions, it seems that China will indeed be beautiful again.