Sustainable Sustainable Development and China: Recommendations for the Forestry, Cotton and E-products sectors.

This report, produced by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in collaboration with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), analyzes the social and environmental impacts of China's rapid economic growth within the forestry, cotton, and E-products sectors. It provides strategic recommendations for the Chinese government to transition these supply chains toward sustainable development to support the national goal of achieving a "harmonious society" (HeXieSheHui) by 2020.

• China's rapid economic expansion has made it a primary driver of global environmental degradation, being the world's largest consumer of coal as of 1999 and the second largest source of greenhouse gases.
• In the forestry sector, China's high demand for timber—with imports growing 300% between 1997 and 2007—has led it to become the most significant importer of illegally logged timber, particularly from countries with poor governance and high poverty.
• China's forestry supply chain has significant impacts in Mozambique, where 85% of total production is exported to China; the report notes that forestry and labour laws are frequently ignored and shipping is marked by corruption.
• China is the world's largest cotton producer, but its domestic production is among the least resource-efficient globally, requiring 3,000 to 5,000 cubic metres of water per hectare and accounting for 30–40% of all pesticides applied in the country.
• The E-products sector accounts for 10.2% of China's total industrial output value, but creates severe environmental hazards through energy-intensive manufacturing and the illegal import of 2 to 33 million tonnes of E-waste annually.
• E-waste recycling in China is dominated by informal household workshops using dangerous methods such as open burning and acid stripping, exposing approximately one-third of the 700,000 workers in the sector to toxins without adequate protection.
• The report recommends that China adopt a sustainable trade strategy based on three pillars: national capacity building (improved monitoring and infrastructure), leveraging sustainable markets (green public procurement and fiscal policies), and international cooperation (developing global standards).

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). Sustainable Sustainable Development and China: Recommendations for the Forestry, Cotton and E-products sectors. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/china_sd_sum_0.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Sustainable Sustainable Development and China: Recommendations for the Forestry, Cotton and E-products sectors. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/china_sd_sum_0.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Sustainable Sustainable Development and China: Recommendations for the Forestry, Cotton and E-products sectors. |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/china_sd_sum_0.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndsustainable, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Sustainable Sustainable Development and China: Recommendations for the Forestry, Cotton and E-products sectors.}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/china_sd_sum_0.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }