A China-EU workshop on climate change opened in Beijing on
Monday, focusing on the promotion of the Kyoto Protocol's clean
development mechanism (CDM).
"The workshop shows our commitment to translate the recently
agreed partnership into concrete action," said France Jessen,
deputy head of the European Commission's delegation to China, at
the opening ceremony.
In September, China and the EU issued a joint declaration on
climate change, agreeing to establish a partnership and jointly
promote the implementation of CDM.
The two-day workshop focuses on the Kyoto Protocol's CDM, which
envisages emission-saving projects in developing countries, and
emissions trading as tools to combat climate change through
cost-effective actions.
The protocol is a United Nations (UN) pact to contain global
warming, which allows developed countries and their enterprises to
earn emission rights by investing in energy efficiency or renewable
energy projects in developing countries to help reduce general
emission levels.
More than 100 officials and entrepreneurs from China and the EU
will also discuss a number of key issues in preparation for the
upcoming UN climate change conference in Montreal, Canada,
including CDM promotion.
China has issued rules to manage CDM projects and to date, eight
CDM projects have been officially approved. Another four are
awaiting approval.?
"China has great potential in the CDM market," said Zhu
Guangyao, vice minister of China's State Environmental Protection
Administration (SEPA), acknowledging
that the market is far from mature.
He said he hoped that the workshop will provide constructive
proposals on developing the market, so as to further promote
China-EU cooperation.
The workshop is co-sponsored by SEPA and the European Commission
Directorate of Environment.
(Xinhua News Agency November 15, 2005)