Recent Climate Change News in the Chinese Media
Filed Under Climate Change, Environmental News
By Stephen Leonelli · March 4, 2010 · Leave a comment
NDRC Climate Division plans to explore carbon emissions exchange (Google translation)
At a conference open to the public last week, several high ranking officials publicly discussed some of China’s plans and strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions post-Copenhagen. Yu Qintai, Department of Foreign Affairs Special Envoy for Climate Change, asserted that China’s basic negotiation position will remain unchanged for most core climate issues, as China maintains its right to develop. At the same time, he reemphasized China’s strong and active commitment to addressing climate change—most notably a 40-45% reduction of carbon intensity by 2020 from 2005 levels, a goal that will be added to the 12th and 13th 5-year plans, making it domestically binding. Su Wei, Director General of the Climate Division of the National Development and Reform and Commission, also discussed other domestic policies for addressing climate change, in particular market mechanisms, such as emissions exchanges. Pan Jiahua, Chair of the China Academy of Sciences Sustainable Development Research Center, indicated that realizing a low-carbon economy and enhancing climate mitigating technology will be crucial in the next years of China’s high-speed development. (Source: First Financial Web)
Zhang Guobao: Clean energy 10-year plan soon to be released (Google translation)
The Chinese central government has already begun drafting a 10 year clean-energy plan that will help China reach its goal of expanding renewable energy to 15% of total energy production. Zhang Guobao, secretary of the National Energy Bureau, declared that the government plans to spend several billion RMB to achieve this end, by means of constructing nuclear power plants, wind farms, solar energy factories, and enhancing research and development of other renewable energy technologies. The plan, which will outline the path for implementation of said projects, will be released soon, according to Secretary Zhang. Zhang also stated that he hopes the foundation of all necessary facilities will be completed within the next 5 years, leaving amble time for the renewable energy target to be met. In light of a recent amendment to the Renewable Energy Law and the formation of the National Energy Commission chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, Secretary Zhang expressed optimism about meeting China’s commitments. (Source: International Power Network)
“3.0 MW offshore wind power facilities R&D” experts attend seminar at Tianwei Baobian Co. (Google translation)
In Baoding, Hebei Province, experts from a variety of sectors participated in a conference to discuss Tianwei Baobian Co.’s development potential of offshore wind farms in China. Identifying offshore wind power as a strategic industry, the experts discussed the numerous advantages to offshore wind power as compared to land-based wind power: offshore wind offers more stable and stronger force wind, leading to longer hours of operation; offshore wind farms will not take up land resources; and, perhaps most importantly, offshore wind farms are closer to coastal cities, promising less energy loss in transporting the energy. This specific project began in September 2007, and experts believe successful implementation of Chinese research and development will break the foreign monopoly on wind power technology, providing China the tools to finance its own wind projects in the future. (Source: China Economic Web)
Pu Cunxin rides bike to register for “two meetings” (Google translation)
In the spirit of “low-carbon,” actor and CPPCC delegate Pu Cunxin rode his bike to register for the upcoming “two meetings,” an annual meeting of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the National People’s Congress. The two meetings will take place over the next two weeks, and the country’s highest legislative bodies will publicly release and approve work reports on numerous topics for China’s development. This year extra measures are being taken to make the two meetings “greener”—manuals have been made only available electronically, notebooks provided use environment friendly materials, and several political parties have already submitted proposals for how to accelerate “low-carbon” development. (Source: Chengdu Evening News)
To explore new mechanisms for addressing climate change, Hebei initiates environmental energy exchange (Google translation)
On Wednesday the Hubei Province Environmental Energy Exchange was officially launched with the stated purpose to engage in energy saving environmental protection, technology transfer and investment financing, as well as handle pollutant-discharge rights and energy-saving exchange. Currently China has seven other energy exchanges in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and other locations across the country. (Source: Hebei Daily)
Brazilian President hopes Latin America will increase cooperation with China on climate change (Google translation)
At the 23rd Rio Group Summit meeting in Cancun, Mexico, earlier this week, President of Brazil, Luiz Lula da Silva, addressed the heads of state of 23 Latin American and Caribbean nations, calling upon greater collaboration with China and India in future international climate negotiations. Lula stressed the common struggles Latin American economies and other developing economies such as China face in the high-pressure field of climate politics, as well as the necessity for a unified stance to counter developed nations’ demands. Strengthened partnerships between Brazil, other Latin American states, and China will undoubtedly garner more attention as the world moves closer to the COP16 talks in Mexico City this December. (Source: Xinhua)
Can water vapor slow global warming? (Google translation)
The findings of a recent American research group have attracted international attention, as the results suggest that a decrease in concentrated water vapor in the atmosphere has played a role in slowing the pace of global warming. There are many speculations as to what has caused the decrease in water vapor in the lowest layer of the stratosphere, but regardless, the research team’s model shows that, from 2000 to 2009, the decrease of this greenhouse gas has slowed the increase in global average surface temperature by as much as 25%. While this may appear to add controversy to the recent domestic dialogue surrounding climate science, atmospheric scientists have also recognized that this is a temporary phenomenon isolated from long-term climate change; the findings should not be understood as anything more than another variable in long-term climate change. (Source: Science and Technology Daily)
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