by Xinhua writer Tan Jingjing

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- China is taking significant strides in reducing its contribution to climate change through improved industrial production and transportation efficiency, as well as cutting carbon emissions, said Clifford Cobb, a renowned U.S. scholar on sustainable development.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Cobb praised China's ongoing efforts in building an ecological civilization and its green development initiatives, which have garnered worldwide attention.

Cobb, director of the U.S. Institute for Postmodern Development of China, highlighted China's leadership in alternative energy production, noting that "these features of China's formation of an ecological civilization are well known in other countries."

He praised the country's rural development efforts, which aim to protect the environment while reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Cobb, an ecological economist, pointed to China's successful conservation initiatives in the Loess Plateau, located in north-central China, as a prime example. "The conservation measures in the Loess Plateau have provided techniques that can be used globally to halt desertification and improve soils in arid regions around the world."

He also commended China's more recent "Black Soil Protection" initiative, which focuses on restoring degraded soils and increasing their carbon storage capacity. "These projects can serve as demonstration models for farmers in South Asia, West Asia, Africa, and South America," Cobb noted.

One of the most notable aspects of China's green development is its alignment with the Chinese leader's "two mountains" theory, Cobb said. "The most impressive feature of this concept is that it operates on the principle that economic development does not necessarily mean more pollution."

The "two mountains" concept, which literally means green mountains and clear waters are as valuable as mountains of gold and silver, has encouraged numerous Chinese cities and villages to pursue high-quality and sustainable growth through protecting the environment and developing green industries.

"With ingenuity and the right orientation, nations can learn how green mountains can be gold mountains that yield both ecological and economic benefits," Cobb told Xinhua.

He expressed the belief that other world leaders can learn from China's example of blending economic development with environmental protection.

China has begun the process of developing a theory of ecological civilization, Cobb said, adding ecological civilization is a revolutionary concept that will require contributors from every continent.

Cobb told Xinhua he expected to visit China to observe firsthand the country's projects in rural renewal and soil regeneration. He is particularly interested in seeing the efforts in northern China, places that are highly susceptible to desertification.

"I want to learn what can be done to stop the encroachment of deserts into farmland as global temperatures rise," Cobb said.

As China continues to make progress in its ecological civilization, Cobb said he believes its model could provide valuable lessons for the world in balancing development with environmental sustainability.