Guangzhou has included the sustainable development goals into its development strategies since 1992, when the Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

Since 2010, Guangzhou has entered a new era of development, and has focused on the development of its service industry instead of the traditional industries. Its per capita GDP has also been increasing remarkably.

I'm glad to see that the city has devoted more efforts to improving the quality of development, both in terms of the social economy and environmental protection. 

Anthony Gar-On Yeh is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). He is the chair professor of the department of urban planning and design at the University of Hong Kong.