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China Environment News operated by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment recently published the special column ZEHO ECO: participant of green development, practitioner of ecological conservation. ZEHO ECO harbors the philosophy to achieve the harmony between man and nature by smart ecology and upholds the principle to realize ecological civilization through craftsmanship.

Special column for ZEHO ECO, August 16th, © China Environment News

Attached article: the original text from China Environment News

ZEHO ECO: participant of green development, practitioner of ecological conservation

Since its founding 24 years ago, Beijing ZEHO Waterfront Ecological Environment Treatment Co., Ltd. (referred to as ZEHO ECO) has always endeavored to improve the environment, to better co-exist with the nature, and stayed committed to finding the most appropriate solution, sustainable development between man and nature through “smart ecology”.

This is the founding mission of ZEHO ECO. It has never changed.

Practitioner to safeguard lush waters and green mountains

In November 2017, the bid evaluation result of the foremost bid for the millennium afforestation project in Xiong’an New Area – Lot No. 9 of Xiong’an New Area released. The dark horse ZEHO ECO stood out among a wide range of companies, including the consortium led by a batch of SOEs such as China State Construction Engineering Corporation and China Communications Construction and became the only independent private company to win the bid.

Aerial view of Xiong’an New Area millennium afforestation project

At that time, ZEHO ECO was not comparable to other candidates no matter in company scale or market share. Why did it eventually stand out from nearly 100 bidders and won the monumental first bid of Xiong’an New Area ecological construction project?

“Our initial philosophy was to cherish every piece of land and make each construction the final one”, said the founder Mrs. Zhang Yijun. ZEHO ECO has always focused on the strategy to drive the market with technology. With its distinctive style of design, ZEHO ECO has completed a series of influential landmark projects including the 2016 Tangshan International Horticultural Expo, Dali Erhai Lakefront buffer zone ecological restoration, Xiong’an Baiyang Lake ecological conservation.

Sponge city demonstration zone at 2016 Tangshan International Horticultural Expo

Dali Erhai Lakefront buffer zone ecological restoration

Xiong’an Baiyang Lake ecological conservation

Some people comment, “Erhai Lake ecological corridor is a boundary to separate people from the lake to provide some space for Erhai Lake.” For the ZEHO’s designers, however, the ecological corridor not only improves the scenery and charm of Erhai Lake, but also endows economic value to the ecological conservation and will gradually form a healthy and sound integrated ecosystem that covers social, economic and natural aspects.

Therefore, as one of the designers for the Erhai Lake ecological corridor, ZEHO ECO adopts a distinctive approach which differs from the traditional “big project” or “huge transformation” that people always think of. The design is based on the philosophy of NbS and prioritizes ecological reconstruction, auxiliary regeneration, natural restoration, protection, and conservation. As a result, the shoreline along Erhai Lake once invaded and contaminated by farmland and guest houses, has been restored with its water purified and its ecology restored. The project serves as a technical exemplar for ecological restoration for the entire lakeside region along Erhai Lake and activates the sustainable and circular development of Erhai Lake watershed.

The head of design at ZEHO ECO describes their job as multitasking. “We serve as the doctor, translator, farmer and parents. ‘Doctor’ refers to the diagnosis of ecological and environmental problems. We always pay heed to our environment. ‘Translator’ means that we convert the ecological and environmental engineering terms and ideas into the language shared by designers. The job of the ‘farmer’ presents our care and attention to each inch of land and all related elements. The role of ‘parents’ is to fulfill the responsibilities and obligations in the education of environmental protection, cultivate our children’s awareness to love and protect the nature, and to bring back the blue skies, lush waters and green mountains to future the generations through our endeavor. ”

Explorer to realize the strategic goals of emission peak and carbon neutrality

ZEHO ECO has already integrated the idea to reduce pollution and cut down carbon emissions into its project design. According to Mrs. Zhang Yijun, ZEHO ECO advocates development driven by public transportation to achieve green and low-carbon transportation. ZEHO also favors green architecture, adopts renewable energies, improves the efficiency of water use, endeavors to transform garbage into resources to achieve energy-saving and low-carbon development of cities. In many projects, ZEHO ECO applies virtual-nature ecological construction methods to create an environment similar to the nature to the greatest extent, build up an ecosystem and protect biodiversity through the increase in carbon sink by forests, waters and soil, to meet the demands of emission peak and carbon neutrality.

Biodiversity construction under multi-ecosystem

To realize the goals of “carbon neutrality” and “emission peak”, concrete and clear data is necessary as a fundamental support. Through years of practice, ZEHO ECO has found that unified evaluation methods and precise monitoring tools were still deficient in the calculation of carbon sequestration. In addition, science-based calculation and monitoring methods are necessary for the calculation of carbon sequestration and ecological benefits concerning afforestation and other ecosystem constructions. To make up to this blank, ZEHO ECO is developing the carbon neutrality monitoring and management data platform.

The strategy of emission peak and carbon neutrality will exert a profound and far-reaching impact on ecosystem construction and green technology innovation. As an eco-environmental technology operator, ZEHO ECO, follow the guidance of sustainable development, will improve the carbon sequestration capacity of the ecosystem and increase the gross ecosystem product (GEP) through nature-based technology to provide a more comfortable living environment for people, and forge a closer bond for man and nature.

Leader to endow ecological value into products

Xiao River, flowing across the Yellow River Basin, is the mother river of Xiaoyi city in Shanxi Province. In 2011, the part of the river in this region was polluted by coal washing. However, based on the strategy to prioritize ecology, develop water conservancy, protection the nature, minimize intervention and fulfill sustainable development, ZEHO ECO has conserved and restored the water body, landform, flora and fauna species, historic legacy and cultural site along the Xiao River under scientific guidance.

Shanxi Xiao River National Wetland Park

“At the beginning of the project, we insisted on the principle of ‘never transplant or cut down any tree’ and conserved the plant community within the 660,000 square meters. During construction, we needed to build a 0.9-meter-wide boardwalk that came in-between two large trees, which was difficult and costly. The proprietor suggested we relocate the trees, but we refused and built the boardwalk between the trees inch by inch.” The year after the project was completed, the occupancy rate of the artificial bird nest in both trees reached 80%. The project director recalled and sighed with emotions, “We really protected the animal’s habitat. Our determined effort paid off!”

According to auditing, the settlement price when Xiao River Project was completed reached 248.8 million yuan, which reduced the budget of the proprietor compared to that of project establishment. The result differs from the practice “low bid price but high settlement price” done by other engineering projects. The project manager proudly claimed, “This is what we insist on. We not only want to help the proprietor solve the ecological pain points, but also save him money for ecological conservation to drive the development of the surrounding to create value.”

Tangshan has witnessed more stories like that. Since 2006, ZEHO ECO has rooted in Tangshan to help with ecological conservation. Following the blueprint depicted decades ago, ZEHO ECO completed various projects one by one, including Nanhu Lake ecological restoration, circular urban water system project, 2016 Tangshan International Horticultural Expo, Donghu Lake ecological restoration, and the Fifth Hebei Garden Expo, etc. Through these projects, ZEHO ECO truly assists Tangshan to transform into a city of high-quality ecological conservation and development. The 2016 Tangshan International Horticultural Expo won huge attention and approval and the Nanhu Lake project was also selected into the list Typical Cases of Ecological Product Value Realization by the Ministry of Natural Resources in 2020.

Nanhu Lake in Tangshan after restoration

The Fifth Hebei Garden Expo

Pursue the aspirations, follow the inspiration

ZEHO ECO (ticker symbol: 605069) is an A-share listed eco-environmental technology operator. Over 24 years of devotion in eco-environment, the company has got 12 utility patents, 69 new use patents and 12 software copyrights. Its design institutes and branches have been set up in Shenzhen and Shanghai. And its market research bases have been established in Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Jingjinji Metropolitan Region, Yangtze River Delta and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.

As a national high-tech enterprise and Beijing municipal enterprise technology hub, 21.58% of the employees in ZEHO ECO possess a master’s degree or above and 86.10% with bachelor’s degrees or above. With such a talent pool, ZEHO ECO has set up design and research institutes with global vision and Chinese characteristics and absorbed over 200 high-end talents from home and abroad. The excellent talents reserve, strong enthusiasm for learning and the philosophy of sustainable development enable ZEHO ECO to empower the eco-environment with technology and build an integrated solution that combines design, construction, intelligence, investment and operation and build up four core businesses – planning and design, ecological environment, smart technology, and industrial operation.

Professional designers and engineers with global vision and domestic experience

On the way of eco-environmental conservation, ZEHO ECO firmly upholds its strategy, realizes the sustainable development of human and nature with smart ecology, fulfills ecological civilization with craftsmanship, brings sustained benefits for customers, explores consistent values for eco-environment, and creates sustainable outcomes for the whole society.

In the future, ZEHO ECO will follow the times, develop with the country and grow as the cause of eco-environment.