With less than 2 weeks to go, things on the EXPO site are starting to take shape, and one of the recent highlights was the unveiling of the EXPO buses that are going to be on site moving the estimated 400,000 – 600,000 daily visitors around the site:

The first batch of 40 passenger buses at the World Expo site, running on a variety of green energy sources, began test operations yesterday.

The buses began running across the Expo site, carrying heavy sandbags and running air conditioners to simulate conditions during the Expo, under the direction of China’s Science and Technology Minister Wan Gang.

The vehicles can travel about 1,000 kilometers after being charged for eight hours.

The article further broke down the type of vehicles that will be used:

Thirty-six supercapacitor and six fuel-cell buses will run routes for Asian, European, African participants in the Pudong side of the site.

Some 120 electric buses will shuttle between the two sides of the Huangpu River through the Xizang Road S. Tunnel.

About 70 fuel-cell cars will serve VIPs.

More than 100 electric 11-seat golf-cart-like vehicles will transport visitors mainly on the elevated pedestrian paths that link the pavilions.

Qwestion I have at this point, and it is one that I have been asking since seeing the hybrid taxis in town, is will these vehicles remain in Shanghai after the EXPO? Anyone know?

2. Green Chengdu, 100 electric buses to drive on streets this year
This year, the program of actions on the promotion of the industrialization of electric vehicles of Chengdu City had finally settled, learnt the journalist recently from the Municipal Energy Office. The program fixed the execution of the “Hundred-thousand-ten-thousands” project, the demonstration and popularization of electric buses, namely hundred urban public transport, thousand taxis and ten thousand private cars. According to the program phased targets, in 2010, Chengdu will complete the target of putting into the demonstrational operation of 100 electric buses and 100 electric city sanitation trucks. The State Grid Corporation Sichuan branch then launched a supporting facilities construction project, and will build 3 electric vehicle charging stations and 300 charging stacks in Chengdu this year. In 2012, Chengdu will form a production capacity of 20,000 electric vehicles.

3. Chengdu plans to invest 43.85 billion yuan to build modern agricultural base
Chengdu recently has published the Construction Plan of Modern Agricultural Base Project of Chengdu (2010-2017), planning to invest 43.85 billion yuan in the construction of modern agricultural base, and to realize 8.5% annual growth of the average peasantry income and achieve 2.8 million tons of total grain output in 2017, striving to build Chengdu into a “Western China first and domestic leading” modern agricultural development demonstration zone and the country’s important modern agricultural base.

4. “Water city of Abundance Heaven”, Jintang awarded as first “National Garden County” in Sichuan
Recently, through the initial approval of the Ministry of Construction, expert review and publicity, Jintang County of Chengdu has successfully obtained the title of “National Garden County” of 2009, not only becoming one of the 31 honored counties throughout the country in 2009, but also being the first in Sichuan, which signified that the county’s constructing of a new livable landscape city had taken a milestone step.

For those of you who missed out on the first Coolbike Shanghai ride, you can relive it through the clip above, a 5 minute teaser into the background, goals, and motivations of the organization.

Website is on the way, with the next ride on April 18

Last year when preparing for my presentation at the 2009 CHaINA summit, I was given access to preliminary data from a survey that the China Supply Chain council had sent out on green practices.  The council, lead by MAx Henry, has always been (in relation to other industry groups) forward leaning on the issues and he was trying to get a feel for what his members were seeing, experiencing, and wanting to learn more about.

At the time, what I found most interesting is that there were some really clear divisions that one could pick right out, and would have expected.  that while (as supply chain managers) the focus was at the end of the day economic, there was a huge gap in knowledge on (1) what the environmental issues they “faced” were or (2) what to do.

It was a survey that showed some firms were very pragmatic about their actions in focusing on packaging (65% already/ 11% within the year), packaging materials (50% already/ 22% within the year), and moving to recyclable packaging containers (51% already/ 29% within the year), while others were looking strategically by talking with their carriers (transportation providers) about their own green initiatives (23% already/ 13% within the year) and were shifting to more efficient modes of transport (29% already/ 13% within the year).

Initiatives that really exposed things like switching to aerodynamic trucks (6% this year/ 6% within the year) as areas that needed to be focused on.

Motivations, both moral and economic, were across the board , but what interested me more was what firms saw as the barriers (emphasis mine): cost prohibitive (38% – not surprising), Too complicated/ don’t have the expertise (38% – SHOCKING), Not a priority (30% – NOT YET), and there are no financial incentives to support (34% – MARKET CAN CHANGE THAT FAST)

It is a report that I encourage you to take the time to download and read. Download here

Shanghai cyclists keep riding to keep the skies blue

On Saturday Shanghai residents turned up in force to show their support for biking as a cleaner healthier transport choice for Shanghai.

The launch event for Good to Shanghai; 01 Coolbike started at the Specialized store in Pu Xi, and riders set off in the winter sunshine on a leisurely ride across the ferry to Pu Dong ending up at the Pearl Tower to sign a commemorative banner.

With Copenhagen kicking off today, the signatures and messages collected on the ride here in Shanghai will join those of other cyclists across the world, in conjunction with ‘Ride Planet Earth’, to show global leaders in Copenhagen the commitment of the people in ensuring a healthy future for the city and reduced pollution of our skies.

Among the signatures were Prof. Lou Yongqi, designing for social innovation and sustainability, College of Design & Innovation, Tongji University and Coordinator of DESIS-china, Richard Hsu H+ branding plus many other leaders in their fields.

Susan Evans, founder of Good to Shanghai and 01coolbike says;

‘The response was fantastic, from residents of Shanghai, both those taking part, supporters and spectators along the way. We are planning to roll out the initiative to other cities in spring 2010 to support and elevate this growing movement towards eco friendly urban transport choices in China. We thank all those who were involved in bringing this great event together and making a sustainable impact a possibility!’

Open to all and free, this was the first of many events and activities planned to communicate that each person can do a little bit to help themselves live a good and healthy life here in Shanghai or in other urban cities in China. By riding bikes around Shanghai’s beautiful, dramatic and eclectic streets, 01Coolbike riders showed support of the local government in their plans to put into place safe, non-polluted and regulated bike lanes in downtown Shanghai.  The next event will be in the spring and will tie up with Expo events.

For hi-res photos and further information on this or future events, please contact hannahlane@hotmail.com

Further information can also be found at www.goodtoshanghai.weebly.com

Editor’s Notes

About Good to Shanghai

01.coolbike is the first of a group of environmental initiatives under the umbrella platform of “GoodtoShanghai”.

This environmental initiative is focused on reducing Shanghai’s air pollution, specifically CO2 emissions, by positioning the bike as an integrated element of urban transport to help support sustainable transportation. This involves creating social change – through changes in infrastructure, product and people’s perceptions.

The perceptional issues with bike riding in china, are that bikes are viewed as yesterday’s transport and are to some extent associated with non-achievers and low income groups: this perception requires addressing if we are to succeed in getting chinese people to actively choose a bike and continue to use it as part of their overall transport needs.

The initiative, will initially aim to involve people in fun and enjoyable bike riding experiences. We will communicate positive reasons to ride a bike, that are focused on, healthy, good for the environment, fun and exhilarating. To gradually move the perception and involvement with bikes towards the transport of the future rather than yesterday’s transport.

The ultimate goal is to create an integrated, amenity supported, better-connected green bike pathway system within the urban environment. So, that people, can both get to work, school or enjoy a beautiful outdoor riding experience along a canal, or around the city at the weekend.

The 01.coolbike program will stress the perceptual connections to support infrastructure and product development.

Behind this initiative is a strong team led by Susan Evans, principal of Kplunk: Creating demand for sustainable living.  Supported by IDEO shanghai, Richard Hsu principal of H+ branding, James Brearly, principal of BAU architects, Richard Brubaker CSR, visiting professor of sustainability and responsible leadership CEIBS

About Ride Planet Earth

The Ride Planet Earth Project culminates in a series of cycling events happening around the world on 6th Dec 09. This is the day before the UN Climate Change negotiations begin in Copenhagen.

The aim of the event is three-fold: (1) Raising awareness about the current and future impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities around the world, highlighting the need to take immediate action. (2) Demonstrating the capacity and willingness of ordinary people to take action against dangerous climate change, action such as using carbon-neutral transport. (3) Urging the world’s governments meeting in Copenhagen to take the necessary action on their part. Agree to reduce carbon emissions to safe levels, agree on the means to do so and agree to start doing so immediately.

This includes the governments of developed countries to fulfil their international obligations, take responsibility for their historic and current greenhouse emissions by reducing emissions immediately and making domestic emission reduction targets of at least 40% by 2020.

Also, to assist countries in the developing world to adapt to climate change impacts, reduce their greenhouse emissions and finance low-carbon technology, enabling them to develop in an ecologically and socially sustainable way.

These conversations, it seems, are ones that are going on all over China, and there have been a number of announcements in the last couple of weeks to support that:

Kunming to roll out free public bicycles
Hangzhou Will Have 50,000 Bike-Share Bikes
Shanghai Launches Bike-Sharing Program

What makes these programs intersting is the fact that they are primarily focused on commuters (Hangzhou may have a more tourist population to draw from), and the anchors are being dropped around the metro stations.

Not a bad place.

However, in a meeting yesterday we began to expand on how could these programs be improved upon, and we looked at bus stations.

Using Shanghai as the example, workers who are going from their home to downtown to work would typically ride a bus (or bike) to the metro station, and then pop out near their office. Which for most of Shanghai’s grade A spaces means less than a kilometer of walking (Nanjing Road, Huai Hai, Xujia Hui, Lujiazui).  So, For those who are riding the bus to work, and particularly those who are making 3-4 transfers, perhaps the bike rental programs could be a way where commutes are cut down.  That by riding from one point on the bus line to a hub, or from one stop to a nearby metro, commuters could find a way to significantly save time on the morning/ evening commute.

A theory left to be seen as the middle class look more towards cars as a status symbol, but with the average commutes getting longer and the inconvenience of parking only getting more inconvenient, I am optomistic that these sharing programs will find success go forward.

It is just finding the right positioning, and targeting the right people in the right way.

Recently, a lot of media attention has focused on how the Chinese government has been taking quick action to invest in new technologies. That one of the side benefits of the one system is speed, and this speed is needed.

Here is another example.

For those who have not purchased a car in Shanghai, one of the biggestpolicy tools the Shanghai government has possessed has been through its license plate auction system. One of a kind, Beijing has tried to push for its removal as part of its drive to increase domestic consumption), Shanghai’s plate prices can regularly push 30,000 – 40,000 RMB in a good auction, for a good plate.

Which will curb consumption.

So, imagine what the impact would be if Shanghai were to implement a green lane to free plates for green cars:

“We are considering offering free car licenses for new-energy vehicles that meet certain standards,” said Chen Hailin, who is in charge of promoting new-energy vehicles at the Shanghai Economics and Information Committee, a key policy-making agency.

That, according to the recent Shanghai Daily article Green cars may get free plates is just what might happen, and some analysts are already chiming in with what it could mean:

Industry analysts said city government hopes free car plates would partly offset the higher purchase costs and help make these energy-saving, less-polluting vehicles more attractive to buyers.

.. and while I would not go on record as saying that I would expect to see everyone move to the new cars, where I think this initiative could get interesting is that it could help provide the business case for continued investments in the related infrastructures (repair shops, chargin stations, etc)

REminds me of when I accompanied the board of an Ivy LEague school to the Shanghai Urban Planning museum, and while meeting with the COmmissioner the President of the Board mentioned that they recently closed a 25 year long process to expand their campus. the commissioner then rebutted with “we did that a couple eyars back as well… with 15 campuses”.

He was referring to the fact that Shanghai, in one fell swoop, moved 15 existing University campuses to new ones south of town in a single cluster.

Only in China.

Last week, while attending the FCC luncheon on China’s auto sector, a bit of time was spent on the clean car segment in China.  It is a segment that has received a lot of attention lately as many of China’s firm launch their products, global investors look to China’s prowess in the battery sector, and the Shanghai Auto show put a lot of green out on display.

But for one consultant, Klaus  of TNS, he is seeing things differently.  That while China is clearly looking to make a name for itself as a producer of clean / renewable energy cars, it is going to find it difficult to develop a domestic market for these products.  Unlike the solar industry, which also suffers from low demand, the primary issue is not providing subsidies – or even the pricing – but the positioning of green cars within the consumer mindset.

Klaus’s point was facilitated through a diagram like the one above ( I have recreated it based on my notes) that looks to profile the buying habits of buyers based on 4 characteristics, and whether or not they are: extroverts, introverts, aspirational, or affiliative.

So, the typical Ferrari or Hummer owner would fall into an extrovert / aspirational, where as a Buick minivan owner is more likely to fall into the affiliative section where affiliative buyers are following friends, buying safe, and buying for value to money.

A picture that when complete, he had 20 or so makes and models n the board with a story for each buyer.

When looking at this from the perspective of the green cars though, and in the context of the four types of buyers, it became more complex.  That partly due to their new entrance into the market, their limited selection and/ or differentiation, and price points made to hit the middle market, green cars were having a tough time finding a home.

Sure, the Tesla was for the extroverted/ aspirational buyer, but what was the likely market for BYD’s new e6?  Who, not the early adopters, would become the buyers of products that were seen as having limited range and features, but good for the environment?  This was the question that he looked into, a question that lead him to see that each segment actually had different concerns – some very different.

It was an interesting discussion that revealed that there were still some hurdles in the market to be cleared, and left me to wonder a basic question – what if a regulation were to go into place that all cars had to be hybrid.  The technology exists, and there is a fairly strong case for the environmental need for the technology, and by doing so it would essentially force the market to accept the product (the product being a hybrid car).  firms could then focus on design, technology improvements, and building portfolios under that constraint.

For Volvo though, they have recently released this Youtube clip (sorry China based viewers) on how they are using software to minimize their need to travel.  A great way to reduce the organizations foot print.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you find it odd, or strangely ironic, that in the background of all this “reducing carbon footprint” discussion are a bunch of rolling boxes lacking in aerodynamic (and thus are highly fuel inefficient), you are not the only one…