In what some might consider a surprising development, China — currently the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide — is emerging as a global leader in climate policy as it seeks to build a cleaner and more efficient economy.

Indeed, China's efforts to curb pollution and environmental destruction, while shifting to a more sustainable growth model, can provide valuable lessons for governments worldwide.

The first step toward sustainable economic growth is to recognize, as China's leaders have, that pollution — produced largely through coal-fired power plants — is profoundly damaging citizens' lives and livelihoods, particularly in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Moreover, greenhouse-gas emissions are contributing to climate change, the effects of which, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns, could prove devastating for all countries, with China highly vulnerable.