High Light

Premier Wen Jiabao presides the meeting on arrangement of energy saving, emissions reduction and response to the climate change

On July 9, 2007, the first meeting of the national leading group on response to climate change, energy saving and emissions reduction was held in Beijing. Premier of the State Council and head of the national leading group Wen Jiabao presided the meeting and made a remark.

Right now, China has prominent environmental problems, such as high energy consumption and heavy pollution. A number of difficulties block our efforts to achieve the target of energy saving and pollution control set out in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan, and China is facing daunting environmental pressure. The meeting proposes that central government and local governments at all levels shall further highlight the energy saving, emissions reduction and responses to the climate change. The main tasks of the national leading group are to work out key strategies, policies and countermeasures to address climate change, make overall plan in this regard, and solve key issues on climate change through negotiations; organize the implementation of policies made by the State Council on energy saving and emissions reduction, consider major policy recommendations, coordinate the major issues and make overall plans for energy saving and emissions reduction.

The State Council holds its regular meeting and adopts in principle the Mid- and Long-term Plan on the Development of Renewable Energy

On June 7, 2007, Premier Wen Jiabao chaired the regular meeting of the State Council and adopted in principle the Mid-and Long-term Plan on the Development of Renewable Energy.

The meeting points out that at present and in the near future, efforts must be made to accelerate the development and use of hydropower, solar energy, wind energy, biomass power generation and biogas. The general goal is to increase the proportion of renewable energy in the energy mix, provide power supply for the people without access to electricity in remote areas, improve the production and living conditions in rural areas, use the organic wastes as energy, and promote the industrial development of renewable energy technology.

The meeting proposes that, the efforts to develop and use renewable energy shall be integrated with the work to save energy and reduce emissions as well as the responses to the global climate change. The following principles must be followed for this purpose, first, according to the goal of and the requirements for developing renewable energy, to pay close attention to formulating and improving relevant supporting policies; second, to adopt effective measures to foster a sustained and steady market for the renewable energy; third, to increase the financial inputs, provide favorable taxation policies, and give supports to the study, application demonstration and industrialized development of renewable energy technologies; fourth, to make scientific plans, adjust measures according to local conditions, make rational layout, develop the land resources in an orderly way, and not to occupy arable lands, consume plenty of grain, or destroy the ecological environment.

The State Council officially released the Integrated Work Plan on Energy Saving and Emissions Reduction

On June 3, 2007, the State Council officially released the Integrated Work Plan on Energy Saving and Emissions Reduction.

The State Council points out that the Outline of the 11th Five-Year Plan on National Economic and Social Development sets the targets of reducing energy consumption per unit GDP by 20% or so and the emissions of major pollutants down by 10% during the 11th Five-Year Plan period.

The State Council emphasizes that at present, the situation for achieving the goal of energy saving and emissions reduction is very serious. The previous year failed to meet the target set out in early 2006 for this regard, which adds the difficulty for the next four years. What is more serious is that the first quarter witnessed overgrowth of industrial sector, especially the areas with high energy consumption and heavy pollution. At the same time, there are problems such as insufficient understanding, unidentified responsibility, flawed policies, lack of supporting measures, inputs not in place, and poor coordination. Should this situation fail to be reversed timely, not only the efforts of this year on energy saving and emissions reduction will be hard to make remarkable progress, but also the general target of the 11th Five-Year Plan for this regard will be difficult to meet.

The integrated work plan for energy saving and emissions reduction consists of ten parts, (1) the target, tasks and general requirements, controlling the increment of emissions; (2) optimizing the structure and increasing the inputs; (3) making all-out efforts to carry out major projects, and innovate the development modes; (4) accelerating the development of circular economy and relying on science and technology; (5) speeding up the technological development and extension, and enhancing the sense of responsibility; (6) intensifying the regulation of energy saving and emissions reduction and improving the legal system; (7) making greater efforts to supervise and inspect the law enforcement and improving policies; (8) formulating incentive and disincentive mechanisms; (9) intensifying publicity; (10) enhancing the public awareness of conservation and the government setting an example for energy conservation.

The overall plan includes 40-odd major policies, measures and specific objectives, which concern matters like controlling the overheated growth of sectors with high energy consumption and heavy pollution, speeding up the efforts to phase out outdated production capacity, improving the policies and measures that facilitate the industrial restructuring, actively promoting the adjustment of energy mix, accelerating the implementation of ten major energy efficient projects, speeding up the construction of water pollution treatment projects, promoting the treatment of SO2 in coal-fired power plants, channeling funds from a variety of sources for energy conservation and emissions reduction, efficiently using water resources, promoting the comprehensive use of resources, intensifying the regulation of energy conservation and emissions reduction in key enterprises, carrying out the pricing reforms of products used by resources proactively and steadily, improving the financial policies favorable for energy conservation and emissions reduction, and encouraging the government energy conservation and green procurement.

Top News

Secretary General Zhu Guangyao meets with the delegation from Department for International Development of U.K.

On June 8, 2007, CCICED Secretary General Zhu Guangyao meets with Ms. Sue Wardell, Director General of the Division of China, the Department for International Development of U.K. and her colleagues. Both parties exchanged views on the orientation of cooperation on CCICED projects and on the fact that Sir Gordon Conway, the Chief Scientist from U.K. Department for International Development, will join the Council at the 4th phase. Zhu Guangyao appraised the long-term support provided by Britain in the environmental field, especially for CCICED. The two sides hope to continue the cooperation in various forms under the framework of the 4th phase.

Secretary General Zhu Guangyao meets with the Executive Director General of the World Wide Fund for Nature

On June 8, 2007, CCICED Secretary General Zhu Guangyao meets with Mr. Guillermo Castilleja, the Executive Director General of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Both parties exchanged briefly on the direction of cooperation on CCICED projects in the future, and Zhu Guangyao entrusted Mr. Castilleja to invite Mr. James P. Leape, the Director General of WWF to join the 4th phase of CCICED. After the meeting, both parties attended the signing ceremony of the agreement on the ecological footprint research project jointly conducted by CCICED Secretariat and WWF China. WWF China will give support to this project.

China Report on Ecological Footprint will be completed by spring of 2008, and an interim report will be submitted to the Council in November 2007. The report will include the data system on ecological footprint and the Living Planet Index as well as relevant analysis, and is committed to deepening the understanding of the public, promoting the cooperated studies among Chinese and international experts, and providing policy recommendations for the decision-making of top Chinese leaders.

China-France Agreement of Cooperation on CCICED signed

On June 12, 2007, Director of CCICED Secretariat Guo Jing and Mr. Olivier Richard, Representative of French Development Agency Representative Office in China signed the China-France Agreement of Cooperation on CCICED on behalf of SEPA and French Development Agency respectively. The French side will give financial support to the Council in the 4th phase. CCICED Secretary General Zhu Guangyao and French Ambassador in China Mr. Hervé Ladsous are also presented at the signing ceremony.

Secretary General Zhu Guangyao meets with Executive Vice President of Environmental Defense

On June 19, 2007, Secretary General Zhu Guangyao met with Mr. David Yanold, the Executive Vice President of Environmental Defense and his colleagues. Both parties exchanged views on the support of the Environmental Defense to CCICED at its 4th phase as well as the cooperation under the Council’s framework. The Vice President on Development Affairs of the Environmental Defense Ms. Paula Hayes and the Chief Economist Mr. Daniel Dudek are also presented at the meeting. Mr. Dudek is invited to be one of the international members of the Council.

China-Italy Agreement of Cooperation on CCICED signed

On June 28, 2007, on behalf of China and Italy, Xu Qinghua, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, SEPA and the Deputy Secretary General of the Council and his counterpart from Italian Ministry of the Environment and Territory Mr. Corrado Clini signed the Agreement of Cooperation on CCICED. The Italian part will continue its financial support to the 4th phase of the Council.

Secretary General Zhu Guangyao meets with the International Council Member Ms. Laurence Tubiana

On July 15, 2007, Secretary General Zhu Guangyao met with Ms. Laurence Tubiana, one of the International Council Members and President of the Research Institute on Sustainable Development and International Relations from France. Mr. Zhu appreciated the concern and supports of Ms. Tubiana for the Council as an International Council Member during the 3rd phase, meanwhile he invited her to continue as an International Council Member during the 4th phase, and hoped that she introduced excellent experience of France in the field of environment and sustainable development to the Council.

Secretariat

Secretariat and its International Support Office holds working meetings

On June 14 and July 12, 2007, the Secretariat and its International Support Office held working meetings in Vancouver and Beijing respectively. The meetings reviewed the establishment of the 4th phase Council and the progress since the 5th AGM of the 3rd Phase of CCICED, and had discussions on the preparations of the 1st AGM of the 4th Phase, on the financial arrangements of the 4th phase Council as well as on the working manual for the Secretariat and the International Support Office. Director of the Secretariat Guo Jing and Mr. Chris Dagg, Director of the International Support Office attended the meetings.

Policy Study

Secretariat and the Chief Advisors holds a working meeting

On July 11, 2007, the joint working meeting between CCICED Secretariat and the Chief Advisors was held in Beijing. The meeting listens to the introductions by task forces on the progress of policy studies during 2007-2008, including the Task Force on the Policy Mechanism Towards Successful Achievement of the 11th Five-Year Plan Environmental Targets, the Task Force on Innovation and Environment-friendly Society, special policy study on China’s Environment Sound Chemicals Management, special policy study on “Strategy Transformation on Environment and Development: Global Experience and China’s Solution”, and the Task Force on Environment and Health. The meeting also listened to the progress of the project on China Report on Ecological Footprint initiated by CCICED Secretariat and WWF China, and held discussions on the proposal of establishing the Task Force on Environment and Energy as well as the drafting of the Issues Paper. The meeting put forward proposals and requirements for the arrangements of the above tasks in the next step and adopted the Meeting’s Summary. The Council’s partners, including the embassies from Canada, Norway, Sweden, Britain, Italy, Germany, France, Australia, and Denmark in China as well as WWF, UNDP and Shell Company.

Task Force on the Policy Mechanism Towards Successful Achievement of the 11th Five-Year Plan Environmental Targets

On July 14-15, 2007, the Task Force on the Policy Mechanism Towards Successful Achievement of the 11th Five-Year Plan Environmental Targets held a working meeting. 70-odd people, including the Co-chairs Ms. Wang Jirong and Mr. Brendan Gillespie, Chinese and international experts of the Task Force, and the experts and scholars from Chinese and overseas research institutions attended the meeting. Keynote speeches were delivered and in-depth discussions were carried out on four topics, i.e., the general strategy for emissions reduction, regulation and measures for emissions reduction, the plans and policies on emissions reduction and the local cases. The Chinese and international Chief Advisors, the Secretariat and its International Support Office attended the meeting as well. Chinese and international experts of the Task Force also discussed the structure and outline of the general report, opinions and recommendations on the emissions reduction in China and the focus and work schedule of the next phase.

The meeting held that in the next phase, the Task Force’s studies shall focus on analyzing the great impact imposed by irrational increment of emissions on the efforts to reduce them as well as the difficulty added to do so. As they are made to the governments, in particular the Central Government, policy recommendations should be clearly targeted and have a high perspective. They should not break away from the existing policy basis and will promote the continued implementation of various measures, trying to make it that the emissions will not increase again during the 12th Five-Year Plan period. Efforts will be made to cut down emissions early during the consumption of resources and energy, economic operation, and production and distribution periods as well as in the whole process. A long-term mechanism will be set up and special attention will be paid to the strategy of reducing COD. On the basis of rationally applying the administrative means, we will focus on the integrated implementation of market-based measures, and try hard to solve problems concerning the regimes and mechanisms, deep-rooted problems as well as the market failure. We will act from a higher perspective than the various policies and measures already in place, and enhance the cost-benefit analysis of the strategic goals for emissions reduction.

Special Policy Study on Environment Sound Chemicals Management

On July 17-18, 2007, Special Policy Study on Environment Sound Chemicals Management held a kick-off meeting in Beijing. The meeting exchanged experience of China, the United States, Germany, and European Union in environmental management of chemicals, discussed the outline of the topic research report to be submitted to the 1st AGM of the 4th Phase of CCICED and the division of research forces, and made arrangements for the next step. The next working meeting is agreed to be held on September 24-25 in Beijing.

This Special policy study is funded by GTZ and aims at learning about the basic situation of environmental management of chemicals in China and the existing problems, analyzing the needs for future management, commenting on the overseas management status quo and their experience, and bringing forward the institutional arrangements for the environmental management of chemicals in China as well as the policy recommendations.

Special Policy Study on “Strategy Transformation on Environment and Development: Global Experience and China’s Solution”

On July 19, 2007, Special Policy Study on “Strategy Transformation on Environment and Development: Global Experience and China’s Solution” held a working meeting in Beijing. The meeting discussed the outline of the topic research report to be submitted to the 1st AGM of the 4th Phase of CCICED as well as the division of research forces, and arranged the work for the next stage. The next working meeting is scheduled in the end of September in Beijing.