Recent Climate Change News in the Chinese Media
Filed Under Climate Change, Environmental News
By Stephen Leonelli · January 29, 2010 · Leave a comment
After Copenhagen, BASIC countries hold first meeting (Google translation)
Accounting for 41% of world population and 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, the BASIC countries—Brazil, South Africa, India, and China—met in New Delhi on Sunday to discuss the road to COP16 in Mexico City this November. This is the first meeting between the four major developing countries since Copenhagen, and the BASIC group will meet every 3 months to ensure that a fair, realistic, and legally-binding agreement is made by the end of the year. In addition, the BASIC nations publicly called upon developed countries to quickly fulfill their promise of distributing $10 billion to the least developed countries. (Source: First Financial Network)
National Energy Commission formed, led by Wen Jiabao (Google translation)
China’s State Council recently announced the creation of the National Energy Commission (NEC), with the stated purpose of strengthening decision-making and coordinating energy strategy. Premier Wen Jiabao will direct the commission of 21 experts, and vice Premier Li Keqiang will serve as deputy director. Specific responsibilities of the commission are still unclear, but this marks an important step in developing China’s future energy policies. (Source: People’s Daily)
China meets 2008 interim targets for chemical oxygen demand and sulfur dioxide emissions
At a presentation of the Government Work Report to the NPC and the CPPCC, Premier Wen Jiabao mentioned two figures that environmental analysts in China have been keenly awaiting. Data for the first half of 2008 on chemical oxygen demand (COD), a measure of water pollution, and sulfur dioxide (SO2) was released several months ago. Many experts predicted that the year-end data would arrive in early March.
According to the Premier, COD levels and sulfur dioxide levels were down 4.42 percent and 5.95 percent respectively for 2008. And yesterday the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) announced 2008 year-end reductions for COD of 6.61% and for sulfur dioxide of 8.95% (both off of 2005 levels). [Editor's Note: By our calculations these two announcements are not consistent with each other. We're running the numbers now and will have more to come.]
So how does this stack up against China’s own goals? Read more…
Secretary Clinton Engages China on Climate Change, Clean Energy, and the Environment
The new American administration’s State Department has been moving exceptionally fast. Upon assuming office, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited four major Asian powers – Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, and China – in a trip from February 15 to February 22. The selection of China as the final stop has led many experts to see the country the major focus of the State Department trip. Secretary Clinton met with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao on Feburary 21 for friendly bilateral talks, the first instance of high-level contact between the Obama administration and the Chinese government. The characteristic feature of Clinton’s visit was a focus on Asia-related topics beyond the global economic recession. Secretary Clinton also touched on important issues such as climate change, clean energy, nonproliferation, and disease prevention, elevating a host of issues not emphasized under the Bush administration to higher stature.
Wen Jiabao on Climate Change
Wen Jiabao issued a statement on climate change during his trip in Europe. We’ve pulled key points from the Xinhua article:
- Green Stimulus. “We are of the view that to develop a green economy is probably another area in the economy as we meet the international financial crisis,” Wen said.
- Wen Heads National Leadership Group on Climate. The Chinese premier said China has established a national leadership group to tackle climate change and “I’m head of the group.”
- China’s Energy Efficiency Targets. In the 11th five-year plan, China has set targets to annually reduce the per unit GDP energy consumption by 4 percent and in total by 20 percent in five years.
- Caps Difficult. It’s difficult for China to take quantified emission reduction quotas at the summit, because the country is still at an early stage of development, Wen said, Europe started its industrialization several hundred years ago, but for China, it has only been dozens of years.
- China’s Per Capita Emissions Low. “China has a 1.3 billion population, and in terms of per capita greenhouse gas emission, we are certainly not the biggest one, yet we are still very active and positive about our cooperation with Europe in terms of saving energy, reducing pollution, developing a low carbon economy and developing those environmentally friendly technologies,” Wen said.