REEEP shines on Shanghai low-carbon day
Beijing, 22.09.2010 - REEEP International Secretariat
On September 22, the Shanghai World Expo formed the backdrop for a major REEEP stakeholder event in East Asia, held in partnership with the Shanghai Environment Energy Exchange and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) on a day specifically highlighting the Expo’s low-carbon achievements. The event, entitled “Forecast Forum on Climate Negotiations before the Cancun Talks” brought together a variety of experts on energy, carbon trading and sustainable development to discuss the outlook for the upcoming 4th round of pre-Cancun climate talks to take place in Tianjin, China during the month of October – and to discuss what steps Chinese business could take in addressing climate change, regardless of the outcome of the official negotiations.
 "Shanghai 2010 stakeholder event - Ms Li Lyan -NDRC")
With these issues in mind, more than 60 people from utilities, research institutes, academia and carbon traders participated in the forum, which saw Ms Li Liyan from Climate Change Department of the NDRC address the gathering at the Zero Carbon Emission Pavilion. Specific questions debated included:
- How the carbon trading will continue after 2012, and how we can improve current mechanisms to obtain carbon reduction through business instruments.
- Will technology transfer remain a barrier to facilitate cross-region green initiatives? What win-win approaches are there to promote quick commercialisation of green technologies?
- Is it possible to build an emissions trading system under the climate change framework that is effective in removing barriers to trade in clean energy technologies
- What are low-carbon business opportunities in the process of adapting to and addressing climate change in China？What are the relevant policies in the current market environment?
The event was scheduled for the 22nd of September in order to combine with the Green Commuting Project and a large-scale TV extravaganza with the theme of “China’s Low-Carbon World Expo” organised by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Expo 2010 Green Commuting Programme Office. Following the forum event, participants had the chance to take a tour along the low-carbon route of exhibition halls, and join the televised variety show and party commemorating the Expo’s achievements in carbon reduction.
“As China becomes the focus of attention in this next round of climate negotiations, this event was an important landmark in helping the private sector to understand the climate-related implications, and for raising REEEP’s profile among Chinese utilities and at the local level in Shanghai,” said Mr. Li Junfeng, REEEP’s regional director for East Asia and Secretary General of the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association, “ we are very happy with the resonance of the event.”