27 September 2012: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced it is providing US$600 million of loans to the Government of China for waste to energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction, and protection of wetlands projects.

According to the ADB the projects include a US$150 million expansion of coal-free district heating systems in Heilongjiang province, benefitting 270,000 households. In Anhui, Shandong, the ADB will provide US$200 million to finance biomass projects converting agricultural and municipal waste to clean energy, reducing GHGs by 638,000 tons per year and serving millions of people with green energy. A further US$100 million will be used to improve infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, and for the restoration and transformation of 1,400 hectares of wetlands into a local ecotourism site in Gansu, creating employment opportunities for local communities. [ADB Press Release]