CCICED held its 2008 Roundtable Meeting in Beijing on April 22-23, 2008. The meeting had in-depth discussions and exchanges focusing on such topics as strategic transformation of China’s environment & development and its global implications, international experience in and policies on promoting the development of low carbon economy, local efforts and action to address and adapt climate change, and the contributions of enterprises’ innovation to the development of environment-friendly society. Mr. Li Ganjie, Vice Minister of MEP and Chinese Member of CCICED attended the roundtable meeting and presented a keynote speech. CCICED Secretary General Zhu Guangyao chaired the opening ceremony. Some Chinese and international Members of CCICED as well as Chinese and international experts attended the meeting. Over 150 people including officials from relevant departments of the State Council, relevant provincial and municipal governments and representatives of Chinese and trans-national companies and enterprises as well as representatives from the embassy of relevant countries and Beijing Office of international organizations attended the meeting.

Chinese and international experts and representatives at the meeting believed that the promotion of the achievement of strategic transformation of the environment and development of China is an important opportunity for China. Right now, China has evident contradictions among economic growth, resources and the environment. If China cannot handle well the relationship between environment and development, it will face huge environmental risk and have implications to global environment. To this end, China must firmly promote the strategic transformation of environment and development. At the same time, this strategic transformation will need long-term unremitting efforts and cannot succeed at the first try.

Experts pointed out, strong promotion of low carbon economy and low carbon development is an important approach to address and adapt the challenge of climate change. It is a common challenge faced by each country in the world as how to address and adapt to climate change. The promotion of low carbon economy, development of appropriate incentive policies and improvement of energy efficiency will provide an option for the adjustment of economic structure and development mode and win good opportunity for Chinese enterprises to better take part in global competition. Meanwhile, experts stressed that the guide by local governments, participation by the entire society and corporate action are the key for addressing and adaptation to climate change.

Experts and representatives also stressed that it is an inevitable option for China to promote the development of a resource saving and environment-friendly society through innovation. Facing severe challenge for global environment and development, China has the only practical option to seek the solution by innovation. China needs continuous innovation to create new development ideas, development mode, systems and mechanisms so as to make long-lasting efforts in the development of a resource saving and environment-friendly society. During this process, enterprises are the carrier and promoter for innovation and development. The establishment of the partnership between government and enterprise, between public and private departments will play a vital role.