Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

Multiple foreign media outlets have recently noticed that the Tianjin Meat Industry Association announced it would purchase 50,000 metric tons of deforestation free certified Brazilian beef by the end of the year. This move not only sends a positive signal for the protection of the Amazon rainforest, but also demonstrates the profound impact of China's green consumption demand on global supply chains. 

This case reflects a broader shift: in the global wave of green and low-carbon transformation, China is moving from a production-driven green development model to a new stage driven by both production and consumption.

Chinese consumers' demand for green, safe and traceable products continues to rise. Supported by policy guidance, corporate responsibility and industry certification, this trend is reshaping the domestic market while deeply empowering the global green supply chain and injecting strong momentum into the world economy's green recovery and sustainable development.

For a long time, global green development has focused mainly on emission reductions and technological innovation on the production side, while the guiding role of consumption has often been overlooked. Now, the rise of green consumption in China is breaking this limitation and promoting a new pattern of "production-consumption" mutual reinforcement.

From Brazilian beef and South American soybeans to Southeast Asian palm oil and other global commodities, China's green procurement standards are becoming a new guiding force in international trade. In sectors such as soybeans and palm oil, China's demand for green, deforestation free and traceable products is pushing exporting countries to adjust their production models, reduce deforestation and improve resource efficiency. 

This shift means that consumption is no longer merely the passive endpoint of production. It has become the starting point of green supply chains. It truly enables production and consumption to act as two mutually reinforcing wheels driving global green development, fully embodying the core essence of accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development.

The vigorous rise of green consumption in China results from the synergy between policy guidance and market-driven demand. On the policy front, China continues to improve its green development institutional framework. On the market front, Chinese consumers' mindset has undergone a fundamental change - shifting from "price-first" to prioritizing "green, safe and traceable" values. This is not a short-term trend but a profound transformation in consumption concepts and lifestyles, becoming a core market force driving the upgrade of global green supply chains.

The rise of green consumption in China not only injects green momentum into the country's high-quality economic development, but has also become a vital engine for addressing global economic imbalances and driving a new round of green growth worldwide.

For China, green consumption is acting as a powerful force to push industrial green transformation. It encourages enterprises to increase investment in green technology research and development, optimize production processes, and improve traceability systems. From the rapid expansion of emerging industries such as new energy and energy-saving environmental protection, to the accelerated green upgrading of traditional industries, green consumption has helped foster a green industry sector with a market scale reaching trillions of yuan. This provides key support for optimizing the economic structure and cultivating new quality productive forces.

For the world, as the world's second-largest economy and one of the largest import markets, China's growing green consumption offers vast opportunities for green products from all countries. Resource-exporting countries like Brazil and Southeast Asia are actively reducing deforestation and adopting sustainable practices to meet Chinese standards, achieving a win-win for ecological protection and economic growth. At the same time, green technologies and eco-friendly products from developed countries gain broader application. More importantly, the sustainable philosophy promoted by China's green consumption is reshaping global trade rules and helping establish green standards and traceability systems as international norms.

From policy guidance to market awakening, and from corporate practice to industry standards, China's green consumption is forming a multi-dimensional collaborative ecosystem. This not only ensures steady progress in China's own green development but also leverages Chinese consumer power to drive global green transformation.

The author is director and professor of the Research Center for Environmental Economics, Fudan University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn