Environment and circular economy transition in China

The NAMA Support Project China Integrated Waste Management (IWM NAMA) aims to reduce GHG emissions of China’s waste sector and induce a transformational change in the way waste is handled through increasing the attractiveness of IWM and waste-to-energy solutions as financially sustainable low-carbon investment options. Xi’an used to rely on a sanitary landfill to treat its waste, but now, as one of the 46 Key Pilot Cities for mandatory waste segregation at source, it is required to have a diversified infrastructure in place including at least a few waste-to-energy (WtE) plants and a few biogas plants for treating organic waste. It is therefore in the process of a massive readjustment of its MSW management and therefore a potent area for this pilot project. Recycling is, of course, another crucial realm of city’s activities.

The project boundary of Xi’an City covers seven urban districts (Xincheng, Beilin, Lianhu, Yanta, Baqiao, Weiyang and Chang’an). Two-levels of government are responsible for waste management in the city with Xi’an Municipal Administration Bureau being the key institution at the municipal level. It takes care for the macro-management of municipal environmental sanitation as well as guides and supervises the authorities of district-, county- and development zone-levels.