New chapter opens in EU-China Climate Change Partnership
'Today, there's virtually no doubt that human-induced climate change is
a fact.' It was with these words that the European Science Commissioner
Janez Potocnik began his speech at the recent Forum on Climate Change
and Science & Technology Innovation in Beijing.
It was also at the forum that the Commissioner outlined the next
chapter in the EU-China Partnership on Climate Change, which focuses on
developing clean energy production and renewable energies.
China's involvement in global sustainable cooperation is crucial if
the World is to reduce greenhouse gasses. In recent years, rapid
economic growth has seen a major lifestyle shift in the country,
leading to the creation of new megalopolises, increased car ownership,
and growing demand for energy. All this growth has therefore led to
increased carbon emissions, emissions which the Kyoto Protocol and the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change aims to curb.
The EU is leading the way in cutting CO2 emissions, and is working
at a multilateral level with countries such as China to achieve a
global response to the issue. In keeping with this, in 2005, the EU and
China first began its partnership on climate change.
The partnership contains two concrete co-operation goals, to be
achieved by 2020. The first is to develop and demonstrate, in China and
the EU, advanced 'zero-emissions' coal technology. This technology will
allow for the capture of CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants and
its subsequent storage underground, for example in exploited oil or gas
fields or in sealed geological strata, thereby avoiding CO2 emissions
into the atmosphere.
The second cooperation goal is to significantly reduce the cost of
key energy technologies and promote their deployment and dissemination.
Together both sides have already initiated research projects in
numerous areas, including climate monitoring, adaptation and mitigation
strategies, sustainable energy management systems, fuel cells and clean
urban transport.
Scientific cooperation will continue to play an important part in
the next phase of the partnership, says Commissioner Potocnik. China is
second only to Russia in the number of applications submitted so far to
Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7). And one third of such
participation is in the area of energy, environment and climate.
The Commissioner highlighted areas where future collaboration has
been agreed upon. They include the development and demonstration of
advanced zero emissions coal technology by 2020, based on carbon
capture and storage and the setting up of a Sino-European clean energy
centre, focusing on coal and energy savings in buildings.
Further collaboration is also expected on establishing the
Euro-Chinese Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy, and the study of
relations between Climate Change and Mega-Cities, as well as the
climate impacts and adaptation in vulnerable regions and sectors.
'I sincerely believe that successful EU-China efforts in these
fields will set an example for the rest of the world,' said Mr
Potocnik. In closing, the Commissioner quoted the ancient Chinese
philosopher and drew parallels with the crisis posed by climate change:
'It was the ancient Chinese philosopher that we call Confucius who
said, 'If a man takes no thought about what is distant, he will find
sorrow near at hand'. So it is - I believe - with climate change.'
The International Forum on Climate Change Science & Technology
Innovation was a two-day event that brought together world leaders and
experts in the area of green technology to discuss the challenge of
climate change and the opportunities for innovative solutions.
Over 600 participants from 30 countries and over 10 international
organisations attended the Forum, including senior state officials,
renowned experts, and representatives of enterprises and
non-governmental organisations.
Source: Community R&D Information Service (CORDIS)
