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Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has carried out the first Environmental Performance Review of China in 2006/2007. It builds on over a decade of environmental co-operation between OECD and China. As a result, China has embodied OECD approaches such as “Polluter Pays” and “User Pays” Principles in its environmental legal acts, for instance through environmental charges or water pricing.

Through this partnership, OECD countries have gained insights into the major environmental challenges facing China, and the measures being taken to address them. The Environmental Performance Review of China confirmed that rapid economic development, industrialisation and urbanisation have generated growing pressures on the environment, resulting in significant damage to human health and depletion of natural resources. The review also highlighted efforts by the Chinese authorities to encourage more balanced patterns of development, by promoting concepts such as “harmonious society” and “scientific development”.

The Review offers some 51 recommendations. It urges Chinese authorities to strengthen effectiveness in implementing environmental laws (in particular at the sub-national level) and to mobilise financing for environmental infrastructure. It insists on reorienting economic growth by both institutional and market-based integration of environmental concerns in energy, agriculture, transport, urban policies and sectors as well as in financing and planning. It also highlights that China has a shared interest with OECD and other countries to address international environmental challenges, and has significantly enhanced its engagement in international environmental co-operation in recent years.

Links:

OECD Environmental Performance Review of China (2007)

The Guardian report

 

According to an online survey, 62 percent of Chinese and 63 percent of Indians agreed developing countries like China and India should cut carbon emission just as developed countries do.

Most Chinese, Indians back carbon cuts -survey
(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-08 09:13

LONDON - Most Chinese and Indian people agree developed countries have the right to demand that emerging countries cut their carbon emissions, according to a survey by market research firm Global Market Insite.

Sixty-two percent of Chinese respondents and 63 percent of Indians said they agreed “it would be appropriate for developed countries to demand restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions from developing countries, such as China and India.”

Eighteen percent of the 14,188 respondents polled in 14 countries for this year’s World Environment Review said US government policy was the biggest threat to the world’s climate.

This included 13 percent of US citizens and 23 percent of people from European G8 member countries France, Germany, Italy and Britain.

Only 14 percent of those asked said they thought lack of action by developing countries to reduce their emissions was the biggest threat to the world’s climate.

And less than 12 percent of Chinese and Indians surveyed said US policy was the biggest threat to the environment.

Read the full report.

 

From Associated Press:

BEIJING (AP) - A Chinese city has halted construction of a chemical plant after residents sent more than 1 million mobile phone text messages protesting possible pollution dangers, news reports said Thursday.

The $1.4 billion facility being built by Tenglong Aromatic PX (Xiamen) Co. Ltd to produce the petrochemical paraxylene was planned for the booming southeastern port of Xiamen, the Xinhua News Agency and newspapers said.

“The city government has listened to the opinions expressed and has decided, after careful deliberation, that the project must be re-evaluated,” a deputy mayor, Ding Guoyan, was quoted as saying.

The plant was to be located 10 miles from the center of Xiamen, a center for Taiwanese and Hong Kong investment. The nearest homes were about a mile away, according to news reports.

Full report (from The Guardian)

 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched a new consolidated Chinese-language Web site as part of its ongoing effort to provide environmental information in English, Spanish and Chinese.

The new site compiles EPA Chinese-language materials on a wide variety of issues from lead poisoning prevention, energy efficiency, and clean water to proper management of pesticides. At the moment most of the contents are in Traditional Chinese (繁体中文), but EPA promises more contents in Simplified Chinese (简体中文) will be added soon.

The site also serves as a valuable tool in delivering important health and environmental information to the Chinese-speaking community, both here in the U.S. and worldwide, to help protect local communities as well as the global environment.

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