Recent Climate Change News in the Chinese Media
Low-carbon economy “ripens” new energy industry (Google translation)
Building upon three years of policies and laws promoting the development and expansion of renewable energy programs, wind power has finally entered a commercial operation stage, according to He Dexin, president of the Chinese Wind Energy Association. While wind power clearly stands out as China’s most mature new energy industry, the industry continues to suffer from lack of highly trained human resources; He claimed that every wind farm needs a management team of at least 25 people to be effective. In addition, many key players in China’s renewable energy field recognize that more specific policies will be needed to bolster the enormous investment opportunities available in wind and other renewable technology industries: the International Energy Agency estimates that China will need 3.7 trillion USD to meet domestic goals for renewable energy to compose 15% of energy use by 2020. (Source: China High-Tech Industry Review)
Smart grid allows clean energy to “generate” and “transmit” (Google translation)
The State Grid Corporation of China released its first “green development” white-paper last week detailing domestic industries’ role in connecting clean energies to the national power grid. Although transportation of produced energy continues to pose a considerable challenge for deployment and use of energy produced from hydropower, wind, and other clean energy sources, the State Grid Corporation remains optimistic: the white-paper declares an active commitment to increasing efficiency in energy containment and processing, and predicts that by 2020 clean energies will make up 32 – 33% of the total installed capacity, or 4.9 – 5.7 hundred million kilowatts; this is estimated to be equivalent to the reduction of 10.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide (Source: Science & Technology Daily)
“Two-track system” is still the foundation of negotiations (Google translation)
After the first UN climate negotiations ended in Bonn, Germany, multiple unresolved issues loom in the upcoming months prior to COP16 in Cancun this December. Verbalizing perhaps one of the most contentious principles of the international climate debate, this article reiterates the absolute necessity to uphold “common but differentiated” responsibilities in the form of a well-defined two-track system for approaching emissions reductions. Indeed, in order for China and other developing nations to sign on to a legally binding agreement by the end of the year, the writer asserts, distinctions in commitments must be maintained for developed and developing nations. (Source: People’s Daily)
Recent Environmental Law and Public Participation News
Beijing to introduce new air pollution legislation (Google translation)
This week, the Beijing municipal government released an announcement detailing the sixteenth stage of the city’s air pollution control measures. The announcement states that for 2010’s air pollution control measures, Beijing will explore a permitting and emissions trading system and move toward legislation that will create a total emission control system for major air pollutants, two policy measures that have not been mentioned in previous air pollution plans. (Source: Beijing Business News)
Anhui Province finds high levels of violations and pollution through surprise inspection program (Google translation)
Anhui Provincial officials announced this week the results of their environmental inspection program, which sampled factories around the region through unannounced inspections by environmental officials. Of the 248 enterprises inspected, 70 were found to have environmental violations of some sort. 148 of those enterprises also underwent emissions monitoring; 34 were found to have excessive emissions. The data released by environmental officials highlighted several ongoing problems. Pollution levels from paper mills continue to pose a major challenge, and excessive heavy metal pollution is also a threat: of the 56 inspected factories known to produce heavy metal emissions, 23 were found to be in violation of discharge standards. (Source: People’s Daily)
Guizhou to undertake investigation of heavy metals industry (Google translation)
Environmental officials in Guizhou Province are ready to implement inspections of industries known to have emissions of heavy metal pollutants, authorities announced this week. As part of a public health special action plan, investigators will carry out a two-month investigation starting mid-April, examining business sectors known for heavy metal pollution and developing plans for emissions reductions. The project will be carried out in cooperation with law enforcement. (Source: China Environment News)
Recent Climate Change News in the Chinese Media
Filed Under Climate Change, Environmental News
By Stephen Leonelli · April 16, 2010 · Leave a comment
Search for climate change future funding (Google translation)
After the first UN climate change negotiations in Bonn, Germany, last week, it remains evident that financing climate aid continues to be the most difficult question. China’s chief climate change negotiator, Su Wei, stated that the promised annual 10 billion USD in funding to developed countries from wealthy nations for the next three years, as written in the Copenhagen Accord, is really just a “drop in the bucket,” especially in light of the 200 years of uncontrolled emissions from developed nations—but, he added, it is still better than nothing. Su Wei applauded Spain for making an upfront commitment to contributing 3.2 billion USD to this fund; the remaining 7 billion, as well as the international mechanism for collecting and distributing these funds over the long-term, must be focus of upcoming negotiations, Su reiterated. (Source: Xinhua)
Experts analyze roadmap to achieving goal for 15% non-fossil fuel energy (Google translation)
Wang Sicheng, a researcher at the National Development and Reform Commission Energy Research Institute, discussed the changes in renewable and non-fossil fuel energy that will be necessary over the next 10 years to reach China’s goal of 15% non-fossil based energy by 2020. Currently hydro- and nuclear power are leading the transition, making up 6.8% and 2.5% of primary energy demand, respectively. Wang’s research shows that by 2020 China’s total energy consumption is estimated to reach 4.6 billion tons of standard coal (TSC), setting a target of approximately 700 million TSC for non-fossil fuel energy sources. Concerns about transmission of electricity and safety of nuclear resources remain lingering issues, let alone the major developments that will be necessary in these energy fields: Wang estimated that facilities able to produce 300 million kilowatts of hydropower—the equivalent of 6 Three Gorges Dams—will need to be constructed. (Source: China Securities Journal)
Hu Jintao meets with President Zuma (Google translation)
Yesterday in Brasilia President Hu Jintao met with South African President Jacob Zuma to reaffirm their commitment to cooperating on climate change in the upcoming months. Zuma expressed his admiration for China’s stance at Copenhagen, and the two parties agreed to continue to stand together in the leading months up to COP16 in Cancun. The two major developing countries—and major emitters—also agreed to facilitate exchange on clean energy and nuclear power programs. The meeting indicates that the BASIC(Brazil, South Africa, India, and China) group will continue to wield considerable influence and clout in future climate negotiations. (Source: International Online)
China In and Beyond the Headlines – University of Colorado, Boulder – April 16-17
I will be on a panel at the University of Colorado at Boulder this Friday on “China In and Beyond the Headlines.” The organizers (Tim Weston, et al) put out a well-regarded book on China called “China Beyond the Headlines.” If you are in Boulder, please come by. I’ll also be meeting with Rock Pring from the University of Denver, who (who with Kitty Pring) has just put what looks to be an important publication on environmental courts around the world. He will be at a World Resources Institute event in Washington DC on Monday, April 19th to talk about this publication.
CAS Event: “China In and Beyond the Headlines”
This two-day event will provide students, faculty, and interested members of the community with an opportunity to listen to and ask questions from a diverse range of speakers who are experts on contemporary China. There will be two panels dedicated to “China In the Headlines” and “China Beyond the Headlines,” and there will be a screening of the new documentary, “Ghost Town,” which was recently shown at the New York Film Festival (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/movies/27semp.html).
For another review, see: http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/03/15/movies/15ghost.html
These events are free and open to the public.
Panel discussion #1: “China In the Headlines”
Friday, April 16, 6:30 – 8:30 PM, CU Boulder campus, Humanities 250
Tim Cheek – topic: intellectuals and intellectual life
Alex Wang – topic: environmental issues
Zheng Liang – topic: ethnic relations in Xinjiang
David Bandurski – topic: investigative journalism
Tim Weston – topic: urbanization in China Read more…
Recent Environmental Law and Public Participation News
Nine ministries unite to tackle heavy metal pollution (Google translation)
At a April 9 conference on public health and environmental protection, Environment minister Zhou Shengxian stressed that addressing and remediation heavy metal pollution would be the top environmental task of the year. Nine ministries and commissions will focus on heavy metal prevention this year, he announced. Among the policies that have gone into effect already include a telephone hotline for citizens wishing to report heavy metal pollution, which has already collected information on 82 incidents. Zhou also revealed that 32 mass incidents across the country have been linked to heavy metal pollution, making the issue a matter of social stability as well. (Source: 21st Century News Network)
175 Chinese companies on the Hong Kong Exchange revealed to have records of environmental violations (Google translation)
Last week, the Institute for Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE), a Chinese environmental NGO, released a list of polluting companies accounted for 16% of all public companies on the HK stock exchange. Notable companies included Sinopec, China National Petroleum Corporation, and Tsingtao Beer. Because most of the violators are Chinese companies listed publicly in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange may have the power to require better environmental information disclosure and performance. Along with the list of enterprises, IPE also provided a set of recommendations for the HKex to regulate the environmental performance of its listed companies and address corporate social responsibility. (Source: Sohu Green)
Wuhan blacklists 35 enterprises for pollution violations (Google translation)
35 companies found to have excessive violations of wastewater, gas emissions, and dust emissions were placed on a special blacklist by the city’s Environmental Protection Bureau, authorities announced last week. The enterprises have until November 30 to be closed or moved. The polluter blacklist is a program that is closely tied with the city’s stringent heavy metal prevention program, which is examining heavily-polluting enterprises in the Wuhan area closely while the city continues to set up its corporate environmental information disclosure system. (Source: Xinhua)
NRDC Pushes Responsible Sourcing in China’s Textile Industry
With the textile industry generating as much as 200 tons of water pollution per ton of fabric manufactured, major textile exports such as China, India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh face a serious environmental challenge as drinking water, public health, and agricultural production are all threatened by the increasing water pollution.
Since 2007, NRDC and its partners in the Clean by Design initiative have worked to come up with a set of best practices aiming to reduce pollution discharges and increase the efficiency of water, chemical, and energy use in the textile industry. The 10 practical lessons proposed in the Responsible Sourcing Guide are easy to implement, paying for themselves in less than one year. The lessons also provide multinational manufacturers with a way to green their supply chains and create a system where cleaner, greener factories are rewarded with more business.
A pilot project carried out at the Redbud Textile Company in Jiangsu Province demonstrated the effectiveness of these best practices. With only three of ten best practices implemented, Redbud is now saving 740 tons of water per day and 9.4 tons of coal per day. A one-time investment cost in these three improvements cost the company $72,000 but yielded $840,000 in annual savings.
Recent Climate Change News in the Chinese Media
Filed Under Climate Change, Environmental News
By Stephen Leonelli · April 9, 2010 · Leave a comment
Chinese official calls upon Asian countries to strengthen cooperation, address climate change (Google translation)
At the 2010 Asia News Coalition forum last week, director of the China Meteorological Administration, Zheng Guoguang, emphasized common needs and concerns of Asian countries in addressing climate change, and the importance to strengthen future collaboration among nations. With aims to enhance adaptation to climate change and reduce extreme climate-related risk, Zheng made three specific suggestions at the forum: 1) establish a multilateral cooperation mechanism to provide a regional defense system for extreme climactic events; 2) strengthen public and governmental awareness and knowledge about climate change, thus enabling active, appropriate measures and actions to address climate change; and 3) actively engage and involve the business community in the climate change fight, meaning rigorous promotion of green development and green tech research and exchange. Zheng also reiterated that while many developing economies in Asia feel multiple pressures to eradicate poverty and slow greenhouse gas emissions, all countries must strive to transform their economies to be sustainable. These remarks echo China’s wider stance for international cooperation and mutual trust in moving forward with a global climate agreement. (Source: International Online)
More reflection needed on inability to predict drought (Google translation)
In this opinion piece, writer Bi Xiaozhe examines the sustained drought ravaging through southwest central China. Bi is particularly concerned with the China Meteorological Administration’s seeming inability to predict and adequately prepare citizens for the drought that has lead to enormous economic and agricultural losses in multiple provinces. Citing US and other developed countries as examples, the writer asserts that China must develop a stronger civil society to offer additional analysis to supplement governmental departments, which currently “monopolize” monitoring of extreme climate events. Indeed, the lack of established, independent research groups is a major weakness of China’s current environmental and climate protection system. (Source: China Net)
Xie Zhenhua: premature, hasty, radical absolute emissions reduction is not advisable (Google translation)
Vice Minister of the National Reform and Development Commission, Xie Zhenhua, conveys in this article the nature of China’s role in the international climate change debate. Xie articulates the mistakes of the developed world’s industrialization process in the past, and the urgent necessity for a sustainable path for development in the future. He also highlights the disproportionate effect climate change takes on developing nations, as many poor nations are inadequately prepared to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. He speaks strongly against carbon tariffs and absolute carbon emissions reduction targets, because these tactics will unfairly cripple China’s economic growth and prevent China from achieving a healthy and prosperous society. The three major tasks for China to address climate change are control greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the ability to withstand adverse effects of climate change, and develop and enhance international capacity to address climate change in the long-term. (Source: China Economic Herald)
UN resource (in Chinese) on freedom of information
UNESCO has published in Chinese what looks to be a good resource on freedom of information principles and practice around the world, entitled Freedom of Information: A Comparative Legal Survey, by Toby Mendel.
The English version can be found here.
A Chinese translation can be found here.
Outskirts of Beijing, April 4, 2010
Beijing API 147
