China’s Bamboo industry booms for greener economy

China's flourishing bamboo industry is becoming one of the pillar sectors in the country's overall forestry industry, with its rapid development emerging as an essential part of the country's efforts to develop a low-carbon economy.

In recent years, old-fashioned bamboo farming techniques and rising labor costs have led to continued declines in local income from bamboo production and a resulting 12,000 hectares of abandoned bamboo forests left to nature. But locals have found new ways to develop the bamboo industry by making good use of its strong carbon sequestration capacity.

According to researches, bamboo is a top plant for cutting greenhouse gases. Every hectare of moso bamboo can absorb 367.5 tons of carbon dioxide each year. Therefore, the local government decided to remedy the situation and turned to the financial markets for a solution.