The first Roundtable Meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) will be held on April 22-23, 2008 in Kempinski Hotel, Beijing, China. With the theme of Innovation for Strategic Transformation on Environment & Development in China and Its Global Implication, the meeting is designed to share major policy recommendations and other outputs of the Council with various stakeholders, especially policy makers from local governments and business communities and to facilitate an open and topic-focused dialogue and discussion on the issues related to environment and development among policy makers, experts and business people within and outside China.

The meeting will involve three sessions as following:

Session one: Strategic Transformation on Environment and Development-Policy Recommendations and Global Implications. A review and discussion of key policy recommendations put forward by the China Council in 2007 and their relevance to and application by regional and municipal governments, as well as the global implications.

Session two: Local Response to Climate Change-Low Carbon Development and Adaptation. A review and discussion of climate change adaptation issues of particular relevance to the provincial and city level. There is a gap between national policy and local responses to climate change. Provincial and city level policy makers are faced with the need to enhance greater awareness and knowledge at the local level. Introducing the concept of low carbon development will not only help achieve environment targets, it will also benefit local economies.

Session three: CCICED Enterprise Forum-Innovation for an Environmentally-friendly Society. Business - as a major source of innovation, technology and investment – will play a crucial role in achieving an environmentally- friendly society in China. Business strongly supports new public-private partnerships. There is a need for scaling up capacity building as well as R&D jointly between Government and Business in China. A focus on energy efficiency improvements with huge potential is imperative. Government and Business should explore the potential within key sectors of the economy in China.

The meeting will invite about 140 participants including numbers of Chinese and international Council Members, governmental officials from both central and local governments in China, experts, business/industry representatives from China and abroad. It will carry out deep debate and discussion focused on innovative strategic approaches to and policies on environment and development in light of the “Three Transformations” to build bridges between public and private sectors, academia and policy makers, global and regional interests and to improve the abilities of central and local governments on assimilating the sustainable development policies.（Zhang Ou）