CA21 Update - Progress on China's
Agenda 21
CA21 Update No.6 June 20, 1996
Brief News
National Environmental Protection Agency Actively Implements China's Agenda 21
National Environmental Protection Agency Actively Implements China's Agenda 21
The National Environmental Protection Agency has integrated strategies for sustainable development into environmental legislature, utilizing the legal system for sustainable development. This action vigorously adhere to international conventions for environmental protection that have also been approved by the Chinese Government. NEPA has also integrated environmental protection policies into the national plan for achieving sustainable development by increasing inputs and harmonizing economic and social developments with the environment. Environmental education is important for increasing public awareness on the environment.
NEPA has formulated China's Environmental Protection Agenda 21. This work is based on sustainable development theories, real conditions of the state, and on the documents of Ten Strategies for Environment and Development along with China's Agenda 21. This work makes a historical review and problem analysis on ten fields, including: environmental policy guidance, environmental legal system, institutional construction, environmental awareness and education, protection of natural environment, protection of urban and rural environments, prevention of industrial pollution, environmental monitoring, environmental science and technology, and international cooperation and exchange. This Agenda proposes the targets and action plan for the end of this century and beginning of the next century.(Chen Shangqin, NEPA)
Swedish Mission Visits China
For formulating the further bilateral cooperation strategy from 1997 to 1999 between Sweden and China, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs commissioned the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) to conduct an identification mission to China from March 5 to 15, 1996. Headed by Mr. Johan Holmberg, Assistant Director-General of Sida, the mission talked specifically about sustainable development and environmental policy with Chinese central authorities and related institutions. The mission also made visits to Shengyang City of Liaoning province and Tianjin Municipality. The purpose of the visits was to learn about local environmental conditions and management institutions.
The mission held a meeting with Mr. Wang Shaoqi, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, and Mr. Wang Baoqing, Deputy Director General of the Department of Science and Technology for Social Development in the State Science and Technology Commission in discussion of potential collaboration on the National experimental Community for Sustainable Development in China. Sida is very interested in and will provide assistance for cooperation in projects for China's Local Agenda 21s. Sida has also discussed the opportunity for cooperation in the implementation of China's Agenda 21 with the Administrative Centre for China's Agenda 21.
During the stay in Shengyang, the delegation made a special visit to a National Comprehensive Experimental Community for Sustainable Development--Shenghe District, and had talks on particular projects.
Through this visit, the delegation gained a deeper understanding of environmental protection in China. They believe that the environmental protection has a great impact on the conservation of the global environmental. Sweden is willing to provide their experience and techniques for sustainable development. The cooperation between China and Sweden will take forms of long-term mutualism and of sharing interests in accordance to their inputs.(Huang Jing, ACCA21)
Donor Meeting Held in Beijing
The Donating Countries Meeting, co-sponsored by Mr. Liu Peizhe, Director-General of the Administrative Centre for China's Agenda 21 and Mr. A. Holcombe, Resident Representative of UNDP-Beijing, was held on April 25, 1996. Forty-seven people attended the meeting. The attendants included members from the Embassies of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, United Kingdom of Great Britain, United States, the Delegation of the European Commission in China, UN organizations, and on the Chinese side, the State Planning Commission, the State Science and Technology Commission and the Administrative Centre for China's Agenda 21.
Mr. A. Holcombe, UN coordinator and UNDP resident representative chaired the meeting. Professor Liu Peizhe gave an introduction on the implementation of China's Agenda 21, international cooperations on priority projects and local actions. He reported on the preparation for the Second High-Level Round-Table Conference along revisions and the expansion of the priority projects. He also answered related questions about funding mechanism on international cooperations, aims and targets of China Business Council for Sustainable Development, and how embassies can act as bridges for the implementation of China's Agenda 21.(Zhou Hongchun, ACCA21)
Professor Liu Peizhe Visiting Tsukuba University, Japan
On the invitation of Tsukuba University, Japan, Professor Liu Peizhe made a visit to the Department of Agricultural and Forestrial Engineering of Tsukuba University, Japan. Comparative research undertook by Prof. Liu and Prof. Takaaki Meakawa, on Sustainable Resource Utilization and Sustainable Development has made preliminary progress. In comparing the characteristics of the sustainable development strategies between China and Japan, Professor Liu made the following observations:
1. Japan pays much more attention to the reduction of the environmental load. This is an central element in Japanese environmental law.
2. Japan attaches much importance to the energy problem, which is viewed as a link between solving environmental problems and development.
3. Japan stresses the role of enterprises for improving sustainable development. Enterprises are the main force in the sustainable development processing in the Earth Charter in Japan. This has clearly pointed out that enterprises are directly responsible for sustainable development in Japan.
The Project of Sustainable Resource Utilization and Sustainable Development is currently in progress. The final report will be submitted by September of this year.
Panzhihua Unshakably Following the Road of Sustainable Development
In promoting the implementation of China's Agenda 21, Panzhihua City set up the Administrative Centre of Agenda 21. This initiative was co-sponsored by the local Planning and Science and Technology Commission and ACCA 21. The mayor headed the leading group for the improvement of sustainable development in Panzhihua city. Together with Peking University, the Administrative Centre of China's Agenda 21 and the local government is investing 2 million yuan to carry out the project of Improving Sustainable Utilization for Resources and Regional Sustainable Development by applying the Space Information System. Panzhihua City is rich in various mineral resources with vanadium, titanium and magnetite paragenetical mines. These vanadium and titanium reserves are among the largest in the world. The city has submitted a proposal of priority projects of China's Agenda 21 to the Administrative Centre for China's Agenda 21 titled, "Comprehensive Utilization of vanadium and titanium resources and environment protection". The following international cooperation projects on technological aspects are suggested:
1. Techniques for producing titanium powder by chlorination; 2. Large sealed electric furnace and controlling techniques for dealing with waste residues containing high proportion of titanium; 3. Treating techniques for waste acid from the titanium powder production line; 4. Production techniques for vanadium catalyst.
To popularize the strategy of sustainable development in China, the Panzhihua TV station had a prime time broadcast of the 30-episode called China's Agenda 21 Is Not A Dream.(Pu Yifen)
Implementing China's Agenda 21, Improving the Pilot in Large Cities
As a pilot municipality for improving strategies for sustainable development in large cities, Beijing undertook the following activities:
1. In order to improve the pilot project, the leading group of Beijing's Agenda 21 was established in May 1995. It was headed by a standing deputy mayor, with chief leaders of the municipal Planning and the Science and Technology Commissions, and other related bureaus.
2. Guided and financed by UNDP-Beijing, Beijing carried out work on capacity building, a community health insurance network and old-age population security system, protection for portable water sources, adjustment of energy structure and energy conservation, classification criteria for environmental assessment.
3. In order to raise the understanding of policy-making and management for decision-makers and administrators in capacity building, Beijing has organized four training courses on theories and methods of sustainable development. A total of 160 people have been trained.
4. Beijing has also set up the legislative evaluation system for sustainable development. It has made reviews and corrections for current local laws, stipulations, systems and their implementation details. (Planning Commission of Beijing Municipality)
Middle-Long Term Targets of Meteorology in China
China Meteorological Administration has arranged the project-- National Climate Centre, one of priority programmes in first tranche of China's Agenda 21, as one of four key projects in the Ninth Five-Year Plan. In addition to taking concerted actions of projects, such as Country Study on Climate Change, Comprehensive estimation of China's natural disasters, ie. China's national disaster management system: establishment of a national integrated assessment, prevention, and response programme, and Establishment of Disaster Prevention and Management Centre in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, the Administration has arranged related research projects in its middle-long term development plans. It will undoubtedly be beneficial for the implementation of the mentioned projects to make full use the advantage of the meteorological departments.
The formulation of middle to long term development of meteorology in China provides a firm foundation for implementation of China's Agenda 21 in this sector.(Peng Daohe, CMA)
First Farmer's Biodiversity Prevention Association in China
The State Gaoli Gongshan Natural Reserve, one of earliest natural reserves in China, was set up in 1981. The reserve covers an area of 124,000 hectares. There are large numbers of rare wild plants and endangered wild animals like the languor and white-brow gibbon. This Preserve is important for biodiversity protection both for China and the World.
In 1993, the McCarthur Foundation of the United States started to financially support the trial project of Forest Resources management and Biodiversity Prevention in this Preserve. Upon education on the principles of sustainable development, farmers gradually realized the close relationship between protection of biodiversity and their production interests. These local farmers conscientiously began to take part in the protection of biodiversity. Aided by concerned departments, the first farmer's biodiversity protection association--Gaoli Gongshan Farmers' Biodiversity Protection Association, was established in Yunnan Province.
The Association has more than 50 members from local farmers, teachers and forest rangers. Dr. Harrod, head of the United Nations Programme Global Human, Land and Environmental Change, went to Yunnan to submit his application to be the 51st member of this association. After submitting his membership fee, Dr. Harrod gladly expressed that he will report this meaningful activity of Chinese farmers in Gaoli Gongshan area to the UNEP. (from China's Environmental News, by: Duan Songting)
Editor's postscript
CA21 Update is a bulletin issued by ACCA21 to report progress on CA21 implementation; important initiatives on strategies, policies, measures, and action plans for sustainable development; and international cooperation on the implementation of CA21 to the domestic and international communities.
We welcome responses from our readers. If you have proposals, questions, or comments, please contact with the editorial department of ACCA21 by letter or fax.
Edited by the Administrative Centre for China's
Agenda 21
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