| Chief Editor | Sheri Liao |
| Sub－Editor | Yingjie, Poppy |
11.2005
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11.2005
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蛙声遍野，国泰民安 |
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NGO Express TOP |
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On 8 th November, Wang Pei , a good friend of Desert died. We have written some words and arranged some of the essays that she wrote when she was still alive with which to remember our kind-hearted friend by. Wang Pei always supported and helped us and gave us a lot. We feel appreciation, upset, loss and sorrow for this friend who has passed away, all these feelings mixed together. At the Desert conference on “Vegetarianism, Animals and Environmental protection” we created a memorial area for Wang Pei . Please remember Wang Pei 's gentleness and her enduring love with us. We hope that Wang Pei's journey is peaceful and that in heaven she no longer has to encounter all the things that tormented her gentle spirit. International sustainable energy development finance and economics and taxation conference” held in Beijing On 16 th and 17 th November, the “International sustainable energy development finance and economics and taxation conference” was held in the Great Hall of the People, and was hosted by the Energy Foundation. 9 members of GVB's Sustainable Energy Journalist Forum attended and reported on the conference.
72 people including both teachers and students conducted two days of exchange activities at GVB on October 29 and 30. On October 29 they went firstly to the Dongsi Olympic Community, the green community of GVB, which is located between Chaoyaomen Bridge and Shitiao Bridge on East Sihuan Road . After their arrival they were greeted by some of the residents at the community square. They were given a fantastic show with traditional Chinese activities such as Yangge (a popular rural folk dance), Taichi , Taichi Sword (a sword performance using taichi forms) and diabolo which impressed the visitors and attracted them to take part themselves. The next stop was Gubeikou Hexi pilot eco-village. After a delicious dinner, the local people put on a magnificent Yangge performance and played some traditional Chinese games with their new guests to everyone's enjoyment. After spending a relaxing night there, they set off to Simatai –a section of the Great Wall and former signal tower. Our friends were very interested in the Wall and learned a famous Chinese proverb: He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man . Upon climbing to the top of Simatai some members of the group, out of excitement, cried out: “I am a true man!” The exchange activities were a good start for our friends to learn about the Great Wall and traditional Chinese customs and a valuable sharing experience in environment and culture. Source: GVB , Wang Boxue 1-11-2005 “The Last Clean Land – Our Own Land Preservation” A Touring Photo Exhibition at Beijing Jili University
From 8 th to 10 th November 2005 , “The Last Clean Land – Our Own Land Preservation” photo exhibition was held at Beijing Jili University . Participants included Liu Yuanzhang and Lu Xie of Jili University's Business College , environmental activist Dong Ruiyang, Professor Dong Maochun, Director General of Friends of Nature Xue Ye, public cooperation department's Wang Xiaoyan, committee member Hu Huizhe, Rivernet's Zhang Shuo and land preservation project department's Su Yutong. The opening ceremony was on Nov 8 th in front of Building B of Jili University. Other activities such as a charity bazaar for the land preservation project and a screening of an environmental film were held along with the photo exhibition. Through these activities, students were informed of the current status of our country's land preservation efforts and the problems that still lay ahead. Special attention was paid to land preservation's part in upholding our people's spirit and civilization, thereby calling upon the young students to join us in the cause of preserving our nation's land.
Source: Friends of Nature
The grand prize giving ceremony from the 6 th Ford Motor Environmental Awards held in Beijing On 2 nd November 2005 , the 6 th Motor Environmental Awards prize giving ceremony was held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing . After thorough on-the-spot examinations and appraisals, 16 superb projects were picked from the ones throughout the whole country, and given a million Yuan as prize money to share between them.
Grand Prize Ceremony held for Environmental Innovations Competition Green Light Activity in Village Community Beijing , Nov. 5-- The Green Light Activity was conducted in Gubeikou Hexi village committee, and attracted crowds of villagers, including men and women, young and old. GVB, in order to cooperate with the Green Village Building Project, presented a set of energy-saving lights, certified by the government, to the village people. The Green Light Project, organized by 13 ministries, such as the National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Science and Technology, and the former National Bureau of Quality and Technology Supervision, during the period of the ninth five-year plan, is a project focusing on energy saving, environmental protection, and lighting-quality improvement. Since its implementation in 1996, this project has achieved remarkable economic benefits and had a broad social impact. During their stay in Hexi village committee, Gubeikou, the staff from GVB introduced the importance of the project and compared the energy-saving value of a 25w compact fluorescent light bulb with that of the 100w regular light bulbs. The result proved that the compact light bulbs featured low power consumption by saving 80% in energy. The high, efficient luminosity and economic benefit amazed the local people, thus raising their awareness about the fluorescent light bulb in daily-life usage, such as the light life expectancy, energy efficiency and the economy benefits. With life gradually enriching, a harmonious ecological environment has already become a standard of good taste and high quality of life, and raising living conditions requires everyone's cooperation. For China , a country with a big population and comparatively scarce resources, the strategy of saving energy and enhancing energy efficiency is vital to maintaining sustainable development and building an energy-efficient society. The concept of Green Light, we believe, will be wholly accepted by all of the villages. We are responsible for saving energy, reducing pollution and protecting the environment, which benefits generation after generation. Green Olympics in Beijing 2008 needs the support of the government, enterprises, and social organizations. Meanwhile, the Green Light Project is supportive of the Olympic games as well, which makes it deserving of attention. Source: GVB, Li Junling 7 th November 2005, Green Volunteers Take Action in Tourist Areas, Handing out Information on Environmental Protection
Nov. 13 th , 2005 , 9:30 , Central Finance and Economics University 's Fang Zhoushe , g reen volunteers from Beijing Science and Engineering University 's Bicycle Association, students from Capital Normal University and its affiliated middle school gathered at the main entrance of Xiangshan Park . Their efforts began with giving out materials concerning environmental protection – suggestions for saving resources, informing tourists on environmental protection and how to help our nation build an “economized society”. During these activities, many tourists responded enthusiastically to our efforts. Since our efforts were aimed at showing how saving our environment affects everyone's lives, many people welcomed our information. You could see tourists all over the mountain reading our materials. In three hours, green volunteers handed out 2400 packets of informational material. The green pages spread like leaves across the autumn colors of Xiangshan park, rejuvenating the scenery.
Source: Green-China
Zhaotong Black Gull Protection Volunteer's Association is honoured with the “ China Charity Award” On 15 th November, the Zhaotong Black Gull Protection Volunteer's Association received a message of congratulation from the State Civil Administration Department, that after the 2005 annual “China Charity Award” appraisal committee's consideration, they had made a public announcement that the Zhaotong Black Gull Environmental Protection Volunteer Association had been honoured with the “China Charity Award”. It was the only Chinese environmental protection NGO to win this annual prize in 2005, and Yunnan province's only organisation to have won this title. Coordinating Group Conference on China 's Fulfillment of the Convention on Biodiversity Convenes in Beijing Zhu Guangqing, deputy chief of SEPA's Ecology department, chaired the conference. Zhu introduced China 's framework for strategic cooperation and partnership for biodiversity, along with that item's plan to develop sustainable management of the ecological system. Representatives of the EU and the UNDP each introduced their own items for protection of biodiversity and technological cooperation. During the conference, a draft working plan was prepared from introductions given by consulting experts. The participating representatives expressed their own opinions and viewpoints concerning the partnership framework. At the end of the conference, Zhu made the closing speech, wishing China 's protection of biodiversity and sustainable usage could be quickly brought into all levels of government's social development agenda, utilizing new and collective strategies to confront China 's protection of biodiversity challenge. Source: GVB, By Liu Chunyu 10 Nov 2005
On the morning of Nov. 13 th , in Bejing's Popular Sciences Park , the international environmental organization Greenpeace gave out free copies of its “2005 Guide to Avoiding Genetically Modified Food” to consumers. What is genetically modified food? What is wrong with it? Why is it different? Greenpeace not only addressed consumer concerns through this guide, but also invited experts to answer consumer questions on the spot. Consumers were also told how to download and use the guide as well as how to buy safe, reliable and non-genetically modified foods for their children.
Greetings Ladies and Gentlemen! Thank you all for your long time support of our projects and activities at the Global Village of Beijing!
‘Zero Mercury Campaign' is a recent environment protection project at the Global Village of Beijing. We are pleased to take this opportunity to introduce this project to you. （ http://www.mercury.ngo.cn ）
Mercury is a chemical element, commonly known as liquid silver. Its chemical symbol is Hg and it is a heavy metal. China is a country rich in mercury reserves. Mercury reserves in China total 81,400 tons, which rank it third in the world. These reserves are distributed throughout 13 provinces and autonomous regions. Guizhou has the largest reserves, fo llowed by Shaanxi and Sichuan . Through volcanic eruption, surface erosion and emission as the result of human activity, mercury can enter the biosphere, and accumulate in plant and animal populations Following increased industrialization and a rise in living standards, the usage and emission of mercury and mercury compounds has continued to rise. As a consequence, the occurrences of mercury related pollution and poisoning accidents have also been steadily increasing. As a toxic substance, mercury can enter the human body through inhalation, ingestion or dermal absorption. Mercury in the human body at higher than acceptable levels can cause heart, liver, neural system dysfunction and many disorders, which lead to damaged health or even death. A typical case of mercury poisoning was Minamata disease in Japan , one of the eight worst environment disasters in the world. Since mercury pollution can spread through the food chain and the atmosphere, it becomes a global environment problem. In response to the present severe situation of mercury pollution, in 2004 Global Village of Beijing started an intensive investigation about mercury pollution; and photographed and video taped a large amount of public awareness and education materials. Based on this, from August 2005, GVB initiated an environment protection educational project named ‘ Zero Mercury Campaign '. This project has received support from European Environmental Bureau and United States Environmental Protection Agency among other institutes. In ‘ Zero Mercury Campaign ', we carry out various forms of public education activities in order to promote the public awareness of mercury pollution, teaching basic mercury knowledge and basic skills of dealing with mercury and mercury compounds. The project also aims to lobby government into establishing more effective mercury monitoring and managing systems, with the purpose of eradicating the environmental hazards caused by mercury and mercury compounds and creating a safer, greener environment for everyone to live in.
As part of the Zero Mercury Campaign project, and to assist with our efforts of raising public awareness about the project, we have established a website, the ‘China NGO Mercury Pollution Prevention Information Net'. http://www.mercury.ngo.cn . W e welcome everyone to visit the website. All comments and suggestions that might help to improve our webpage and our project will be highly appreciated . We sincerely hope for your continued attention and participation in Global Village Beijing's Zero Mercury Campaign campaign. Get involved in our public awareness raising activities and make a contribution to the improvement of the environment around you. We welcome any people with related national or international mercury expertise to act as consultants for the Zero Mercury Campaign ; we welcome NGO members and organizations to join the Zero Mercury Campaign NGO team. If you would like to become directly involved in our activities, we welcome you as a volunteer of the project. If you have any ideas or insights related to the mercury pollution problem, and write or speak out about it, we welcome your articles and speeches. If you have friends or relatives who do not know enough about mercury hazard, we urge you to pass the message of the Zero Mercury Campaign to them, and to everybody close to you. Get involved in the Zero Mercury Campaign in whatever shape or form, become a team member and let your actions help mankind eradicate the mercury hazard and to live in a healthier world, a world free from mercury pollution. |
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Special Report–Renewable Energy TOP |
1. We, Ministers and Government Representatives from 78 countries, having met at the Beijing International Renewable Energy Conference 2005 (BIREC), reaffirm our commitment to implement the outcomes of the Earth Summit, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), and the United Nations 2005 Millenium Review Summit, and to substantially increase with a sense of urgency the global share of renewable energy in the total energy supply, as called for in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. 2. We welcome the ongoing and future activities and commitments that have arisen from the WSSD, the Bonn International Conference for Renewable Energies, the G-8 Gleneagles Summit, and other international and regional initiatives that help promote renewable energy. 3. We emphasize the multiple benefits of increased energy efficiency and the use of renewable sources of energy for improving access to energy services, thereby contributing to the eradication of poverty as called for in the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), increasing job opportunities, improving air quality and public health, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change, enhancing energy security, and offering a new paradigm for international cooperation. 4. We note with concern that more than 2 billion people in developing countries do not have access to modern energy services and 2.4 billion people rely on traditional biomass for their basic energy needs. This energy divide entrenches poverty by limiting access to information, education, economic opportunity, and healthier livelihoods, particularly for women and children, and erodes environmental sustainability at the local, national, and global levels. 5. We also note with concern that recent trends in the world energy market, especially the doubling of oil prices in less than two years, has increased the economic risk of relying primarily on imported energy and a volatile world energy market. By developing local sources of energy such as hydro, wind, solar, geothermal and modern biomass including liquid biofuels, countries can create diversified energy portfolios that are less vulnerable to wide price fluctuations. There is considerable scope, for example, for deploying biofuels in support of rural development and the transport sector. 6. Despite the growing expansion in the development and use of renewable sources of energy in developed countries, the combined share of renewable sources in the global primary energy supply remains small and limited. Most developing countries have not benefited from such expansion. The international community should strengthen its commitment to the scaling up of renewable energy development and use, especially in developing countries. 7. We agree to take further actions at the national, regional, and international levels to accelerate the market uptake of renewable energy technologies and increase investment in research and development (R&D), especially by developed countries, in order to enhance efficiency and reduce up-front costs. We also agree on the need for strengthened support for the commercialization and transfer of technologies through North-South and South-South cooperation. 8. We recognize that significantly increasing the use of renewable energy faces a number of challenges. Government policies have a significant impact on attracting private sector investment and the pace of expansion of renewable energy as demonstrated in several developed and developing countries. Experience has shown that successful actions for scaling up the use of renewable energy, include: (1) creating supportive policy, legal, and institutional frameworks; (2) securing public sector commitment, including for R&D and procurement policies; (3) leveling the playing field; (4) promoting private sector involvement and a stronger alignment between policy timeframes and timelines for investment; (5) supporting the establishment of national renewable energy industries including small and medium enterprises; and (6) providing access to affordable finance, including micro-finance, and consumer credit mechanisms. 9. We also recognize the need for significant financial resources, both public and private, for investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency, including the use of innovative financing mechanisms, such as loan guarantees and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and market-based instruments that can leverage scarce public funds. We are committed to creating a positive investment climate to attract private capital for renewable energy. We emphasize the catalytic role that financial incentives and higher shares of ODA can play and we urge International Financial Institutions (IFIs), including the World Bank, the Regional Development Banks, and the GEF, as well as individual governments to significantly expand their investments in renewable energy technologies. We also urge IFIs and other actors to design improved instruments and products to ensure effective blending of public and private financing which should help buying down the risks associated with renewable energy technologies. 10. We further emphasize the need for enhanced international cooperation for capacity building in developing countries for: (1) strengthening national policy frameworks and the integration of renewable energy use into national sustainable development strategies for poverty reduction, health, education, and agriculture; (2) enhancing national capacity for R&D and transfer and diffusion of renewable energy technologies; (3) establishing markets for renewable energy; (4) increasing access to finance; (5) enterprise development for sourcing, installing, operating, and maintaining renewable energy systems; and (6) combining the increased use of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and greater application of cleaner fossil fuel technologies. 11. We recognize the need for making technical assistance for renewable energy widely accessible to developing countries, especially least developing countries. The UN system can and should play a key role in this regard. Its capacity and resources should be strengthened and interagency cooperation should be enhanced in order to avoid fragmentation of effort. We also recognize the importance of disseminating information and knowledge, lessons learned, best practices, and scaling up experiences in the development and application of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Connecting multi-stakeholders through networks as well as other international and regional initiatives should facilitate such exchanges and make information more accessible to developing countries. 12. We note with appreciation the major focus on energy in the upcoming 2006/2007 cycle of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). We also note that the current global situation, including a growing awareness of energy poverty in developing countries, the risk of climate change and the important role that renewable energy should play in sustainable development and energy security, the increasing number of international initiatives and commitments, and volatility of world energy markets, provides an unprecedented opportunity for addressing the strategic challenge of transforming our energy systems and closing the energy divide between poor and rich, and between developing and developed countries. We invite the Commission to consider an effective arrangement to review and assess progress towards substantially increasing the global share of renewable energy as foreseen in paragraph 20(e) of Johannesburg 's Plan of Implementation. This would provide a long-term prospective and encourage prompt action. Such periodic review could offer opportunities for enhanced national, regional, and international cooperation on renewable energy for sustainable development through, for example, exchange of lessons learned and best practice and a more favorable environment for technology transfer and the rapid commercialization of innovative renewable energy technologies. The review could also be useful in addressing the linkages between energy and the commission's biannual thematic cluster, and voluntary reporting could be enhanced through inputs from relevant international organizations and networks. 13. We welcome the participation, and contributions made, at the conference by parliamentarians, local and regional authorities, international institutions, the private sector, international industry associations, NGOs, civil society, women's groups, youth, and academia, and emphasize the importance of their continued role in increasing the development and use of renewable energy. 14. We express our deep appreciation and thanks to the people and Government of the People's Republic of China for successfully organizing this conference and for their generosity and hospitality. We kindly request the Chinese authorities to consider reporting the outcomes and declaration of the Conference to the CSD at its 14th session. |
| Policy Watch TOP |
China's Renewable Energy Law Application of this Law in hydropower shall be regulated by energy authorities of the State Council and approved by the State Council. This Law does not apply to the direct burning of straw, firewood and dejecta, etc. on low-efficiency stove. Article 4 —The Government lists the development of utilization of renewable energy as the preferential area for energy development and promotes the construction and development of the renewable energy market by establishing total volume for the development of renewable energy and taking corresponding measures. The Government encourages economic entities of all ownerships to participate in the development and utilization of renewable energy and protects legal rights and interests of the developers and users of renewable energy on the basis of law. Article 5 —Energy authorities of the State Council implement management for the development and utilization of renewable energy at the national level. Relevant departments of the State Council are responsible for the management of relevant development and utilization of renewable energy within their authorities. Energy authorities of local people's governments above the county level are responsible for the management of the development and utilization of renewable energy within their own jurisdiction. Relevant departments of local people's governments above the county level are responsible for the management of relevant development and utilization of renewable energy within their authorities. Chapter 2 Resource Survey and Energy Plan Article 6 — Energy authorities of the State Council are responsible for organizing and coordinating national surveys and management of renewable energy resources, and work with related departments to establish technical regulations for resource surveys. Relevant departments of the State Council, within their respective authorities, are responsible for related renewable energy resource surveys. The survey results will be summarized by the energy authorities in the State Council. The result of the survey of renewable energy shall be released to the public, with the exception of confidential contents as stipulated by the Government. Article 7 —Energy authorities of the State Council sets middle and long-term target of the total volume for the development and utilization of renewable energy at the national level, which shall be implemented and released to the pubic after being approved by the State Council. Energy authorities of the State Council shall, on the basis of the target of total volume in the previous paragraph, as well as the economic development and actual situation of renewable energy resources of all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, cooperate with people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in establishing middle and long-term target and release it to the public. Article 8 —Energy authorities of the State Council shall, on the basis of the middle and long-term total volume target of renewable energy throughout the country, prepare national renewable energy development and utilization plan, which is to be implemented after being approved by the State Council. Energy authorities of the people's governments at the level of province, autonomous region and municipality shall, on the basis of the middle and long-term target for the development and utilization of renewable energy, cooperate with relevant authorities of the people's governments at their own level in preparing national renewable energy development and utilization plan for their own administrative regions, which shall be implemented after being approved by people's governments at their own level. The approved plan shall be released to the public, with the exception of confidential content as stipulated by the government. In case that the approved plan needs to be modified, approval of the original approving authorities shall be obtained. Article 9 —In preparing the plan for the development and utilization of renewable energy, opinions of relevant units, experts and the public shall be solicited and the scientific reasoning shall be done. Article 11 —S tandardization authorities of the State Council shall set and publicize technical standard for renewable energy electric power and the technical standards for relevant renewable technology and products for which technical requirements need to be standardized at the national level. For those technical requirements not dealt with in the national standard in the previous paragraph, relevant authorities of the State Council may establish relevant industrial standard, which shall be reported to the standardization authorities of the State Council for filing. Article 12 —The government lists scientific and technical research in the development and utilization of, and the industrialized development of, renewable energy, as the preferential area for hi-tech development and hi-tech industrial development in the national program, and allocates funding for the scientific and technical research, application demonstration and industrialized development of the development and utilization of renewable energy so as to promote technical advancement in the development and utilization of renewable energy, reduce the production cost of renewable energy products and improve the quality of products. Education authorities of the State Council shall incorporate the knowledge and technology on renewable energy into general and occupational education curricula. Article 13 — The Government encourages and supports various types of grid-connected renewable power generation. For the construction of renewable energy power generation projects, administrative permits shall be obtained or filing shall be made in accordance with the law and regulations of the State Council. In the construction of renewable power generation projects, if there is more than one applicant for project license, the licensee shall be determined through a tender. Article 14 —Grid enterprises shall enter into grid connection agreement with renewable power generation enterprises that have legally obtained administrative license or for which filing has been made, and buy the grid-connected power produced with renewable energy within the coverage of their power grid, and provide grid-connection service for the generation of power with renewable energy. Article 15 —The Government supports the construction of independent renewable power systems in areas not covered by the power grid to provide power service for local production and living. Article 16 —The Government encourages clean and efficient development and utilization of biological fuel and encourages the development of energy crops. If the gas and heat produced with biological resources conform to urban fuel gas pipeline networks and heat pipeline networks, enterprises operating gas pipeline networks and heat pipeline networks shall accept them into the networks. The Government encourages the production and utilization of biological liquid fuel. Gas-selling enterprises shall, on the basis of the regulations of energy authorities of the State Council or people's government at the provincial level, include biological liquid fuel conforming to the national standard into its fuel-selling system. Article 17 — The Government encourages workplaces and individuals in the installation and use of solar energy utilization systems of solar energy water-heating system, solar energy heating and cooling system and solar photovoltaic system, etc. Construction authorities of the State Council shall cooperate with relevant authorities of the State Council in establishing technical economic policies and technical standards with regard to the combination of solar energy utilization system and construction. Real estate development enterprises shall, on the basis of the technical standards in the previous paragraph, provide necessary conditions for the utilization of solar energy in the design and construction of buildings. For buildings already built, residents may, on the condition that its quality and safety is not affected, install solar energy utilization system that conform to technical stdnards and product standards, unless agreement has been otherwise reached between relevant parties. Article 18 —The Government encourages and supports the development and utilization of renewable energy in rural areas. Energy authorities of local people's governments above the county level shall, on the basis of local economic and social development, ecological protection and health need, etc., prepare renewable energy development plan for the rural area and promote biomass energy like the marsh gas, etc. conversion, household solar energy, small-scale wind energy and small-scale hydraulic energy, etc. People's government above the county level shall provide financial support for the renewable energy utilization projects in the rural areas. Chapter 5 Price management and Fee Sharing For the price of grid-connected power of renewable power generation projects determined through tender as stipulated in the 3 rd paragraph of Article 13 hereof, the bid-winning price shall be implemented; however, such a price shall not exceed the level of grid-connected power of similar renewable power generation projects. Article 20 —The excess between the expenses that power grid enterprises purchase renewable power on the basis of the price determined in Article 19 hereof and the expenses incurred in the purchase of average power price generated with conventional energy shall be shared in the selling price. Price authorities of the State Council shall prepare specific methods. Article 21 —Grid connection expenses paid by grid enterprises for the purchase of renewable power and other reasonable expenses may be included into the grid enterprise power transmission cost and retrieved from the selling price. Article 22 —For the selling price of power generated from independent renewable energy power system invested or subsidized by the Government, classified selling price of the same area shall be adopted, and the excess between its reasonable operation, management expenses and the selling price shall be shared on the basis of the method as specified in Article 20 hereof. Article 23 —The price of renewable heat and natural gas that enters the urban pipeline shall be determined on the basis of price management authorities in the principle of being beneficial to the development and utilization of renewable energy and being economic and reasonable. Chapter 6 Economic incentives and supervisory measures Article 24 — The Government budget establishes renewable energy development fund to support the following: 1. Scientific and technological research, standard establishment and pilot project for the development and utilization of renewable energy; 2. Construction of renewable energy projects for domestic use in rural and pasturing areas; 3. Construction of independent renewable power systems in remote areas and islands; • Surveys, assessments of renewable energy resources, and the construction of relevant information systems; 5. Localized production of the equipment for the development and utilization of renewable energy.
Article 25 —Financial institutions may offer preferential loan with financial interest subsidy to renewable energy development and utilization projects that are listed in the national renewable energy industrial development guidance catalogue and conform to the conditions for granting loans. Article 26 —The Government grants tax benefits to projects listed in the renewable energy industrial development guidance catalogue, and specific methods are to be prepared by the State Council. Article 27 —Power enterprises shall authentically and completely record and store relevant materials of renewable energy power generation, and shall accept the inspection and supervision of power supervisory institutions. Power supervisory institutions shall do the inspection in accordance with stipulated procedures, and shall keep commercial secret and other secret for inspected units. Chapter 7 Legal Responsibilities Article 28 —If energy authorities of the State Council and the people's governments above the county level as well as other relevant authorities breach this Law and have one of the following, people's government of their own level or relevant authorities of the superior people's governments may order them to make correction, and impose administrative penalty for competent personnel that are liable and other personnel directly liable; in case that such breaches constitute crime, criminal liabilities shall be legally pursued. 1. Failure to make administrative licensing decision in accordance with law; 2. Failure to make an investigation when illegal activities are dicovered; 3. Other acts of not legally performing supervision and management responsibilities. Article 29 —If the power grid enterprises breach Article 14 hereof and fail to purchase renewable power in full, which results in economic loss to the renewable power generation enterprises, such power grid enterprises shall be liable for compensation, and the national power supervisory institutions shall order them to make correction within a stipulated period of time; in case of refusal to make correction, a fine of less than the economic loss of the renewable power generation enterprises shall be imposed. Article 30 —In case that enterprises of natural gas pipeline network and heat pipeline network breach paragraph 2 of Article 16 hereof and do not permit the connection of natural gas and heat that conform to the grid connection technical standard into the network, which results in economic loss to the gas and heat production enterprises, relevant enterprises shall be liable for compensation, and energy authorities of the people's government at the provincial level shall order them to make correction within a stipulated period of time; in case of refusal to make correction, a fine of less than said economic loss shall be imposed against them. Article 31 —If gas-selling enterprises breach paragraph 3 of Article 16 hereof and fail to include biological liquid fuel that conforms to the national standard into its fuel-selling system, which results in economic loss to the biological liquid fuel production enterprises, relevant enterprises shall be liable for compensation, and energy authorities of the State Council or people's government at the provincial level shall order them to make correction within a stipulated period of time; in case of refusal to make correction, a fine of less than said economic loss shall be imposed against them. Chapter 8 Miscellaneous Article 32 —Terms used herein shall have the following meanings: Biomass energy: means energy converted from natural plants, rejecta as well as urban and rural organic waste. Renewable energy independent power system: means independent renewable power system not connected to the power grid. Energy crop: means herbage and wood plants specially planted and used as raw materials of energy. Biological liquid fuels: means methanol, ethanol, bio-diesel and other liquid fuels derived from biomass resources. Article 33 —This Law shall become effective on Jan 1 st , 2006 .
Source: English Translation: www.renewableenergyaccess.com |
| Environmental News TOP |
Toxins make second China city cut water
"Environmental protection bureaus nationwide must give top priority to preventing the outbreak of major pollution," said the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) in the notice. SEPA asked localities to "check immediately major pollution sources and investigate the hidden dangers of dangerous chemical pollution, especially in large communities, along the rivers and water-supply areas. "Environmental emergency counter-plans must be mapped out or improved to minimize the impact of pollution in case it should happen," said the notice, noting that such incidents must be reported to SEPA "in time." The notice is issued after the recent occurrence of several major pollution accidents affecting the lives of millions of people.A chemical plant explosion in northeast China's Jilin City of Jilin Province two weeks ago severely polluted nearby Songhua River, forcing Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province in downstream, to cut off the water supply to its 3.8 million residents for four days. The pollution slick is moving towards Heilongjiang , bordering China and Russia . Two other river pollution accidents caused by chemical plant explosions and spills in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality and central Hunan Province last week are "under control", according to SEPA. (Xinhua News Agency November 29, 2005 )
Currently, at least 1 million Beijing residents suffer from all sorts of noise pollution, according to sources with the municipal environmental protection bureau. They mainly live in areas along urban highways trunks, railways and near construction sites, said Zhuang Shuchun, deputy chief engineer with the bureau.
Work staffs with the bureau used a special method to test noise pollution. They divided the city proper of Beijing into four functional zones in advance and then measured the decibels of each functional zone during daytime and at night respectively. The zones with decibels higher than the required standard are listed as noise pollution-contaminated areas. Some areas recorded noise pollution as high as 70 decibels, while the minimum recorded noise pollution came to 45 decibels, Zhuang said.
During the period between the 1970s and the 1990s, industrial noise was blamed the major noise pollution in the city proper. Consequently, local government moved nearly 100 plants and workshops out of the city proper to reduce noise pollution. Since the 1990s, noise at construction sites, restaurants and other commercial business sites became a new source of noise pollution in the city. Rapid increase in the number of motor vehicles, as well as airplanes and trains is listed as a major source of noise pollution in recent years.
(Xinhua News Agency November 30, 2005 )
The cities have been told by the SEPA they have to improve their environmental work in order to get back on the list. According to SEPA, the cities of Hangzhou of Zhejiang Province, Zhuhai of Guangdong Province and Jiangyin of Jiansu Province, passed the SEPA exam.
At the end of last year, SEPA had honored 44 cities for their efforts in environmental protection while pursuing high economic growth. The SEPA reexamines the environment of cities on the list every three years. In February, Zhangjiagang, a city in east China 's Jiangsu Province , and six other cities retained their titles. While Shantou in south China 's Guangdong Province was warned that improvement was needed. (Xinhua News Agency November 30, 2005 ) EIA Rules in Place for Environment Protection
The EIA refers to a scientific assessment of the affordability of resources in a planned area. EIA's are helpful to prevent pollution and environmental damage before a project is launched, said the official, adding that all major economic and industrial programs should undergo EIAs.
The ten localities are Shanghai and Tianjin municipalities, Hebei , Shandong and Shanxi provinces, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Dalian , Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Xingtai cities, according to the official.
Inner Mongolia and Dalian and Wuhan cities have launched their EIA on an experimental basis. Meanwhile, the authorities have been working on an EIA for major industries and river areas.
Environmental assessment is part of the government's efforts to implement a sustainable path of development and build an environment-friendly society.
(Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2005 ) Coastal Regions Urged to Develop Wind Energy
"China has a long coastline, almost third of the country's border faces the ocean, which gives some advantage in creating the offshore wind energy, compared with the inland countries," said Preben Maegarrd, WWEA president at the forum on green energy in this capital of east China's Jiangsu Province.
Construction of the world's largest wind energy project was launched last Friday in Dongtai , Jiangsu . Installed with an annual capacity of 200,000 kilowatt, the plant will provide 420 million kw/h of electricity for local people after its full establishment.
"China has already realized the importance of renewable energy, but compared with other developing countries, such as India, China still need to do more in the field of wind energy," said Maegarrd.
He pointed out that the whole world has witnessed the fascinating speed of China 's economic development, but as any other fast-developing economies, China already faced energy problem. Electricity shortage has already become a major economic bottleneck in China 's economic powerhouses in the coastal regions, where local economy has sustained double-digit growth for the past decade.
(Xinhua News Agency November 15, 2005 ) Rewards Offered for Reporting Animal Deaths China has banned the sale, transportation, and consumption of animals and birds that die of unknown illnesses and is offering rewards for reports of sudden animal or bird deaths as it battles bird flu. The east China province of Shandong also activated a daily surveillance of migratory birds out of fear they would spread the virus.
Hundreds of thousands of migratory birds began arriving from north China , Mongolia , and Russia in late October and are expected to spend their winter in or pass through the coastal province on their way to warmer Pacific islands. Amid fears of a pandemic, the Ministry of Agriculture ordered agriculture and veterinary authorities nationwide immediately to report deaths of animals or birds.
"Rewards should be given to those people who have reported illnesses," said a notice about the disposal of dead animals or birds on the ministry's website on Monday. It did not specify what sort of reward would be offered.
( China Daily /Agencies November 1, 2005 ) (extracts) |
| Recycling Economy TOP |
The aim of the C4DR project is to help users to find a simple and convenient environmentally friendly method for recycling the original HP inkjet and toner cartridges and printer equipment that they have used, thus preventing their improper disposal from having a negative impact on the environment. This project was launched in February this year in Beijing and Shanghai , by the three environmental NGOs: GVB, R&S and Friends of Nature, in collaboration with HP. The aim of implementing such a project is to provide the citizens of Beijing and Shanghai with an effective, convenient shortcut path for the recycling and reuse of printer waste in accordance with environmental standards, while at the same time holding a variety of educational activities in order to raise the environmental awareness of citizens.
HP Recycles Equivalent of 280 Jumbo Jets Hewlett-Packard recycled about 140 million pounds of hardware and print cartridges in the past year. HP announced Monday that the efforts -- which pulled in the weight of 280 jumbo airliners -- surpassed last year's by 17 percent. The company also collected more than 2.5 million units, or more than 50 million pounds of hardware for refurbishing, resale, and donations, according to its 2005 Global Citizenship Report. In all, HP has recycled more than 750 million pounds of hardware and print cartridges since opening its first recycling facility in Roseville , Calif. in 1997. The company has set a goal of recycling one billion pounds of computing and printing products by the end of 2007. HP will expand the program to include more customers and new ways to return and recycle equipment. The recycling program currently operates in more than 36 countries, regions, and territories. The recovered plastics and metals are recycled into car parts, clothing hangers, toys, fence posts, serving trays and roof tiles. In addition to Hewlett-Packard's initiatives, consumers and advocates are demanding that computer companies do more to promote recycling. Source: CMP Media Inc, 11-05
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| Community Announcements and Events TOP |
Community Announcements and Events 2nd China ( Shanghai ) Intel Energy (Power-) Saving Tech & Equipment Exhibition & Technical Forum
March 22-24 2006 , Shanghai Venue: Shanghai Exhibition Centre Organisers: Shanghai Zhongmao Exhibition Service Co.Ltd, Shanghai Zhanye Exhibition Co.Ltd Contact: Jun Zhou, Tel: +86.(0)21.5109 7799, 5450 0848, Fax: +86.(0)21.6485 4895, email : zhanye@vip.sina.com, Website: http://www.energy-expo.net Source: CEEDREC 12th Annual International Sustainable Development Research Conference 2006 April 6-8, 2006 , Hong Kong Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Organisers: Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management (CUPEM) of the University of Hong Kong , ERP Environment and the Centre for Environmental Management and Policy of the Nanjing University Major theme: "Sustainable Cities". Currently seeking offers of papers from researchers and practitioners in the fields of sustainable development, environmental policy and industrial ecology, in particular, papers concerning progress that has been made in sustainable development research, practice in integrating policy studies and issues of governance and management. Contact: Dr Winnie Law / Ms Elim Wong, The Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management The University of Hong Kong, email: sdconf06@hku.hk, Tel: (852) 2857- 8647/(852)2241-5239, Fax: (852) 2559-0468, conference website: http://www.hku.hk/sdconf06 (conference pamphlet at: http://www.hku.hk/sdconf06/SDconf_pamphlet.pdf) Greenpeace China are currently looking for visionary, high caliber people to join their campaign team, to fill the positions of: The posts above are based in Beijing and for 2-year contract. For job details, please refer to www.greenpeace.org.cn . |
