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China Environmental News Alert

2012-02-08T09:24:39Z

Greenlaw from NRDC China, NRDC China Program, Beijing

NRDC has been working in China for over fifteen years on such issues as energy efficiency, green buildings, clean energy technologies, environmental governance and public participation, and green supply chain issues. This China Environmental News Alert is a weekly compilation of news from around the world on China and the environment.

February 1, 2012 – February 8, 2012

EU Continues with Emissions System, Despite China's New Law

The New York Times (February 6, 2012)

The executive body of the European Union announced that it was not yielding in its emissions program, despite China’s move to block its airlines from participating. The program, which began on January 1, will require that airlines with flights into Europe monitor their emissions on such flights. Air traffic composes about 3% of total greenhouse gas emissions, a growing figure that the EU is attempting to reduce through its program. Although the cost of a permit from Beijing to Europe in 2013 is expected to be about $2.60, some officials worry that as the amount of free permits are reduced, prices will rise for emissions permits. Nonetheless, European officials hope that the charge for emissions will spur investment in technologies that improve efficiency.

Cadmium Spill Causes 7 Officials to Lose Jobs

The New York Times (February 4, 2012)

The Chinese government has fired seven officials after they mishandled a toxic metal spill that threatened millions of people’s drinking water in January. Two companies released tons of cadmium into over 200 miles of the Longjiang River in Guangxi Province last month. Consumption of cadmium, a main component of batteries and other industrial chemical products, can lead to kidney failure and bone problems. Villagers consumed polluted water for five days before they were told about the danger of the spill. The head of environmental protection for the city of Hechi and other city officials were disciplined or fired for their role in covering up the spill and botching the cleanup. Six others from the factories responsible were also arrested for their role. Officials say it will be another month before the cadmium settles or is safely diluted by the currents.

Shale-gas Brings Shell and PetroChina Together to Collaborate

Bloomberg (February 3, 2012)

PetroChina Co. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc have increased their cooperation on shale-gas projects in China and Canada, the two companies announced this week. Shell plans to increase shale-gas drilling in 2012 in China to 20 to 25 wells, up from 15 in 2011, while China plans to buy a 20 percent stake in Shell’s Groundbirch shale-gas in British Columbia. Shell estimates that the potential for shale-gas in China could rival that of North America, where much of the world’s shale-gas, including the Groundbirch project, is currently being developed. China hopes to produce 6.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas from shale rock by 2015, and 80 billion cubic meters of the energy by 2020, according to government estimates.

Half of All Chinese Food Failed Inspection in 2011

Food Quality News (February 2, 2012)

Fifty-one percent of all food processed and packaged in China failed food inspection in 2011, according to the food quality control company AsiaInspection. Major defects, which include cases involving rodent fecal contamination and feathers left in chicken meat, composed 10% of the failures. Moreover, 57% of food packaging resulted in a failing grade. Food packaging problems, while perceived as less severe, can lead to contamination of food products. Over 4.5 billion tons of food was exported from China in 2011 alone, which suggests countries importing Chinese food are at severe risk for contaminated food.

Environmental Accidents on the Rise in China

Associated Press (February 7, 2012)

China dealt with 542 environmental incidents in 2011, according to China Daily reports. Although the report gave no comparative figures, the published number appears to be much higher than the 156 accidents in 2010 that were posted on ministry-affiliated newspaper China Environmental News. Two-thirds of the accidents happened as a result of traffic or industrial accidents, such as trucks overturning and spilling hazardous waste. The Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning estimates environmental damage from environmental accidents in 2009 to be $220 billion. Given the rising amount of accidents, the cost for 2011 is likely to rise. Moreover, those figures exclude the costs of environmental accidents associated with lost farmland productivity and harm to public health.

China Increases Gasoline and Diesel Prices

The Wall Street Journal (February 7, 2012)

Increasing international prices for diesel and gasoline caused China’s National Reform and Development Commission (NRDC) to raise the country’s costs for gasoline and diesel on Tuesday. The NRDC said that it would raise the cost of gasoline by 300 yuan ($47.50), or 3.3%, to 9380 yuan a metric ton. Diesel prices increased by a similar amount to 8520 yuan a metric ton. The move comes as China tries to balance its efforts to control inflation with keeping up with international efforts to increase energy efficiency. Reducing pollution from cars and buildings has been a major policy initiative by the Chinese government as it prepares for legally binding carbon emissions reductions in 2020.

China Uses Largest Oil Tankers in the World

Bloomberg (February 8, 2012)

Forty percent of the world’s very large crude containers (VLCCs) dispatched their oil in China, according to the London-based shipbroker Braemer Seascopre Ltd. VLCCs, which can carry 2 million barrels of crude oil, are expected to make up a large component of China’s shipment of oil as it expands its consumption of the energy. According to Bloomberg estimates, China will increase its consumption of 6 million barrels a day by 2015, which suggests that its dependence on VLCCs will grow in the next few years.

Chinese Solar Companies Cut Solar Export Surge

Oregon Live (February 7, 2012)

An Oregon solar wholesaler has reported that exports of Chinese solar materials have halted in response to a fear of a tariff imposed by the US government. Ocean Yuan, head of Oregon’s Grape Solar, worries that the tariff imposed by the US government may be as high as 30%. According to Yuan, the tariff has scared off factories in China from exporting to the US, leaving plants in China idling production. A few months ago, manufacturers attempted to beat potential tariffs by flooding the market with solar materials. One company, which requested anonymity, had exported as much as $70 million worth of product, but has since stopped its sales of materials to the US. US solar officials remain skeptical that the export of Chinese solar products has stopped, according to officials from US-based SolarWorld.

China Pushes Myanmar on Dam

Asia Times (February 7, 2012)

China’s hydropower industry is working hard to push through a $3.6 billion dam in Myanmar’s Kachin state, a delegate from a recent Mekong Energy and Ecology forum reported. The dam, which would signal Myanmar’s willingness to accept other Chinese infrastructure projects, is also an attempt for China to demonstrate its control over its southern neighbor in a time of increasing Western influence. Other Chinese infrastructure plans include a $17.5 billion pipeline from southern Myanmar to China’s Yunnan province that would reduce China’s dependence on the Malacca Strait for its energy supplies. The strait, which could be easily blocked by the United States in the event of a conflict, is where most of China’s oil is currently transported. The dam has been delayed until 2015, when the current Burmese president’s term ends, suggesting that China may yet be able to push through its infrastructure projects.

Beijing to Power Buses with Liquid Natural Gas

International Business Times (February 7th, 2012)

By the end of February 2012, Beijing will see its first buses powered by Liquid Natural Gas (LNG). The municipal government expects to see 100 such buses on the road by the end of the year, with the first set dispatched along Chang’An Avenue. LNG is colorless, odorless, non-toxic, and non-corrosive and produces 90% less emissions than diesel fuel. If all of the city’s 15,000 diesel buses were replaced with LNG-fueled buses, the decrease in emissions would be equivalent to taking 750,000 cars off the road. Diesel cars and buses are a major contributor to the PM2.5 emissions that have caused the city to become well known for its smog.

(CENA prepared by Christopher Page)

* The links and article summaries in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

See our bilingual (English and Chinese) blog dedicated to discussion of China's environmental law, policy and public participation at http://www.greenlaw.org.cn

China Environmental News Alert

2012-02-02T12:12:08Z

Greenlaw from NRDC China, NRDC China Program, Beijing

January 20, 2012 – February 01, 2012

Powering future development

China Daily (January 20, 2012)

China is a big country with a low per capita income that requires a large amount of energy to support its ongoing industrialization and urbanization. With China's growing addiction to foreign oil, as well as its increasing coal consumption, China has ample motivation to exploit new energy, in an effort to guarantee its energy security and to address environmental problems. Developing new energy technologies and new energy sources is a necessary choice for China. The government should take urbanization as an opportunity to promote energy conservation and introduce effective policies to support clean energy development. To do this requires a good understanding of China's development constraints, which include energy scarcity, environmental pollution and climate change, energy security, and energy costs.

Court backs environment group

China Daily (January 20, 2012)

A pilot environmental court in Guizhou province ruled a local government must disclose information about a company accused of polluting, a verdict seen as a victory toward improving people's right to know. The court supported the All-China Environment Federation (ACEF) in asking for information from the local environmental protection bureau about a dairy producer accused of dumping polluted water. The ruling is the country's first judgment in favor of a social group - a registered nonprofit organization - asking a government agency to disclose information on the environment. Current regulation bars grassroots groups and individuals from filing an environmental case on behalf of the public. Draft regulations proposed in December call for allowing social groups to be able to file cases related to environmental protection and food safety on behalf of the public.

Beijing begins measuring tiny air pollutants

Reuters (January 23, 2012)

Beijing began disclosing the amount of tiny pollution particles in the air on Saturday, in a move that could improve disclosure but alarm a public barely resigned to the capital's choking smog. The new measurement of particles of 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter, or PM2.5, comes after growing attention to air quality in Beijing, one of the world's most heavily polluted capitals, from Chinese as well as foreigners. The data will be collected from a monitoring station in the Chegongzhuang area of the second ring road, which encircles the center city.

China hits back at US wind turbine import investigation

The Guardian (January 23, 2012)

The Chinese government has hit back against a US investigation into exports of wind turbine towers, warning that the escalating trade spat runs counter to global efforts to curb carbon emissions and could damage clean-energy co-operation between the two countries. China’s Ministry of Commerce urged the US to stand by commitments made at the G20 to avoid introducing new protectionist measures. However, some critics maintain that the generous subsidies and preferential treatment the Chinese government offers many of its clean-tech firms amount to unfair competition. Chinese officials escalated the row last November by announcing they would launch their own investigation into the level of subsidy the US government has provided its domestic clean-energy firms.

ConocoPhillips to pay $158 million damages for oil spill

China Daily (January 26, 2012)

Energy giant ConocoPhillips said on Tuesday that it would pay 1 billion yuan ($158 million) to settle compensation claims arising from the oil leaks from its Penglai 19-3 oilfield in Bohai Bay in June 2011. ConocoPhillips and the CNOOC will also pay 100 million yuan and 250 million yuan to restore the marine, especially fishing, environment in the Bohai Bay and monitor the situation. The Hebei and Liaoning provincial governments will distribute the compensation among affected fishermen. Zhao Jingwei, a lawyer from Yingke Law Firm that represents 107 fishermen from Hebei who filed a lawsuit against ConocoPhillips China in December, said he is worried that the fishermen might not get proper compensation. Most of the fishermen are relatively isolated from the outside world and don’t even realize that they can seek damages.

China to further reduce paper use

China Daily (January 27, 2012)

China will promote recycling paper and reducing its use in order to save resources and protect the environment, according to the country's new five-year plan for its paper industry. According to the plan, current paper product standards should be revised to encourage the production of energy-saving and emission-reducing paper, and promote the substitution of paper packaging for alternatives. China is the world's largest producer and consumer of paper and paperboard products. The country has made plans to eliminate at least 10 million tonnes of outdated papermaking capacity before 2015 by encouraging corporate mergers and acquisitions.

Converting food waste is not a rubbish idea

China Daily (January 30, 2012)

As Beijing continues to expand, so does its volume of waste. The city’s 20 million residents generate 11,000 tons of cooking waste every day. Some companies are working on technologies to generate electricity with rubbish. Others plan to turn food scraps into fertilizer or animal feed. Beijing Goldenway Bio-Tech operates about 10 facilities that convert food waste into fertilizer soil and, when put into full operation, one factory could deal with 400 tons of waste a day. The company collects the garbage in urban areas, processes it, makes it into organic fertilizers and sells them to the rural areas. Goldenway now collects mainly from companies assigned by the government. It hasn't yet tapped into individual families, a main source of cooking waste.

Green guard cleanses water trawling for oil

China Daily (January 30, 2012)

A fisherman by trade, Zhang Jianshe has been collecting waste diesel from boats on Dongting Lake in Hunan province since 2003, a practice that has prevented thousands of gallons of oil from being dumped into the water. According to Zhang's estimates, a vessel with a deadweight of 50 tons can generate 50 kilograms of waste diesel every year, which would then be thrown into the water. Zhang found a company in Nanjing that was recycling waste oil and he spent a month with them learning their techniques. Returning home, he successfully applied to authorities for permission to recycle waste oil on Dongting Lake during the off-season. Records show Zhang has collected roughly 1,000 tons of waste oil, about 100 tons a year on average. His work has also been recognized by authorities, such as the Ministry of Environmental Protection, which in 2007 named him one of the "10 Green Guards of China".

'River pigs' rarer than pandas

China Daily (January 30, 2012)

Fishermen, scientists and green campaigners have joined forces to prevent the rare Yangtze finless porpoise from disappearing from Dongting Lake in Central China. Since April, He Daming and another 10 friends have been patrolling the lake, hoping to protect the animal from illegal fishing techniques, such as electrofishing. Yet, fishermen alone cannot solve the problem. Studies show that the porpoises, which are found only in the Yangtze River and Poyang and Dongting lakes, have also been affected by pollution, busy water traffic, extreme weather conditions (mainly droughts) and the construction of hydropower projects.

Two provinces partner up in river protection

China Daily (January 31, 2012)

Anhui and Zhejiang have launched an ecological compensation initiative that is the first water protection program jointly begun by these provinces. The neighboring provinces launched a trial project on Sunday that monitors the water quality of the Xin'an River. Huangshan and other places in Anhui hesitated to accept new industries in order to protect the environment along the Xin'an River, paying a heavy price in terms of slow development with delayed industrialization and urbanization. The mutual compensation mechanism will not only ensure water quality for the lower regions, but also ease the funding scarcity of the upper province and alleviate the contradiction between economic and social development and environmental protection.

Government raises record funds to save water

China Daily (January 31, 2012)

China will continue to increase its investment in water conservation infrastructure to ensure grain security, protect water resources, promote the well-being of people and mitigate damage from disasters. Chen Lei, minister of water resources, said China invested a record high 345.2 billion yuan ($54.5 billion) in water conservation in 2011. The investment has been primarily used to supply safe drinking water to about 64 million rural residents, reinforce more than 400 key irrigation zones in the country's breadbasket, clean up 46,000 hazardous small reservoirs, harness some 1,000 local rivers and initiate early warning systems for torrential floods and subsequent landslides in 1,100 counties. Chen said the country will continue increasing its investment in water conservation projects this year, and new measures will be adopted to allow local governments to raise funds.

Chinese cadmium spill won’t halt tap water supply, Xinhua says

Bloomberg (February 1, 2012)

A toxic cadmium spill in Guangxi province that contaminated a tributary of the Pearl River won’t cause cuts in tap water supplies to Liuzhou city or other downstream areas, according to a local official. Two weeks of cleanup have contained the spill, the official Xinhua News Agency reported late yesterday, citing Feng Zhennian, an official with the regional environmental protection department. Chinese workers have dumped chemicals to contain the cadmium spill, detected January 15th upstream of the city of Hechi, which killed fish and prompted panic buying of bottled water.

(CENA prepared by Christina Whang)

* The links and article summaries in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

See our bilingual (English and Chinese) blog dedicated to discussion of China's environmental law, policy and public participation at http://www.greenlaw.org.cn

China Environmental News Alert

2012-01-18T16:42:50Z

Greenlaw from NRDC China, NRDC China Program, Beijing

January 5 – January 18

China’s Thirst for Water Transfer

Chinadialogue (January 10, 2012)

Water diversion is back in the news in China thanks to the announcement of the 20-billion yuan (US $3.2 billion) Qiandao Lake project in Hangzhou, which has sparked controversy. Due to break ground during the next five years – the 12th Five Year Plan (FYP) period – the scheme aims to bring water from Qiandao Lake in Chun’an county to Xianlin, closer to downtown Hangzhou, the capital of eastern China’s Zhejiang province. China’s economic reform has generated an unprecedented urbanization and industrialization process, which has brought with it numerous large-scale water-transfer projects. Although such schemes have helped create the conditions for rapid GDP growth, the negative effects of these intensive engineering projects have meanwhile been ignored. China still has a raging thirst for water-transfer, and even bigger plans are in the works.

China to Release Six Giant Pandas Into Wild

The Guardian (January 10, 2012)

China introduced six giant pandas into a “semi-wild” environment on January 11 in one of the most ambitious attempts yet to replenish the endangered population with captive-bred animals. Celebrities – including basketball star Yao Ming – and political leaders attended the ceremony in Dujianyan, Sichuan Province, to mark the relocation of the bears, which has been hailed as a milestone in a restoration project expected to take 50-years.

Beijing to Release Real-Time Air Quality Data

China Daily (January 11, 2012)

Authorities in the Chinese capital will release real-time air quality data on the Internet for local residents to check starting January 19, an environment official said on January 11. The Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center’s staff will post air quality data 24 hours a day on its official website, www.bjmemc.com.cn, based on results from 27 monitoring stations in the city. The data will mainly cover the density of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and PM10. However, experts say the current air quality standard, which has remained unchanged for more than 10 years, lags behind the changes. The plan to measure PM2.5 will be fully implemented nationwide in 2016, and will be publicly released in Beijing ahead of the Chinese New year, which falls on January 23.

China’s Renewables Surge Dampened by Growth in Coal Consumption

The Guardian (January 12, 2012)

China tripled its solar energy generating capacity last year and notched up major increases in wind and hydropower, government figures showed this week, but officials are still struggling to cap the growth in coal burning, which is the biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the world. The latest evidence of China’s promotion of renewable energy has been welcomed by climate activists, but they warn that the benefits are being wiped out by the surge in coal consumption. After burning an extra 95 million tons last year, China will soon account for half the coal burned on the planet. Some key policy makers have called for energy use to be kept below 4.1 billion tons of coal equivalent by 2015. If the proposal is accepted, this would be the first time China has set such a ceiling. Until now, Beijing has only set goals for energy and carbon intensity, which are relative to economic growth and so fluctuate according to GDP figures.

Mixed Messages Dim Chinese Carbon Tax Prospects

BusinessGreen (January 12, 2012)

The Chinese government has tempered optimism that the country could introduce a national carbon tax within the next four years, after a senior official insisted that a carbon levy was just one of a number of options being explored. The past six months have seen a series of state media reports suggesting that the Chinese government is working on plans to introduce a national carbon tax, culminating in reports last week that a 10 yuan ($1.58) per ton tax on emissions from large industrial firms could be launched before 2015. However, Su Wei, China’s chief negotiator on climate change, insisted that a carbon tax was just one of a series of policy options the government is looking at to help curb emissions.

Hong Kong to Widen Pollutants Watch as Beijing Plans to Do More

Bloomberg (January 12, 2012)

Hong Kong, facing criticism over its air quality, will measure pollutants smaller than 2.5 micrometers at all its monitoring stations by March, a week after Beijing pledged to make publicly available similar data. The former British colony’s delay in updating a 25-year air quality standard is drawing criticism from lawmakers and academics, as cities such as Beijing and Taipei pledged to improve their monitoring and disclosure of pollutants. Roadside pollution in Hong Kong was the worst ever last year, the South China Morning Post reported on Jan. 9, citing data from the government’s environmental protection department.

Green Energy Investment Soars to $260bn

The Guardian (January 12, 2012)

Global investment in clean energy reached a new high of $260 billion last year – despite the financial crisis and the anti-environment agenda of Republicans in the US Congress, a United Nations investors’ summit was told on Thursday. Data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance, which tracks clean energy investment, showed a 5% increase compared with 2010, driven largely by a surge of money going to the solar industry. The US made $56 billion in clean energy investments last year, overtaking China, which invested $47.4 billion. It is the first time since 2008 that the US has invested more.

Apple Releases 2012 Supplier Responsibility Report

China Digital Times (January 16, 2012)

Apple has released its latest Supplier Responsibility report, which shows an 80% drop in underage labor and signs of a new and long-awaited transparency. The company also published a nearly comprehensive list of suppliers for the first time, and announced its membership in the Fair Labor Association to provide some measure of third-party oversight. But this relative openness still leaves much about Apple’s supply chain obscured. Many have criticized the absence of information beyond a bare list of names that fails to reveal which suppliers have committed violations, where their plants are located, or with which subsidiaries of the larger companies Apple is involved.

NGOs Upbeat Over China’s Environmental Transparency Progress

The Guardian (January 16, 2012)

Green activists applauded steady progress on environmental transparency in China after public campaigns forced major players, including Apple and the Beijing government, to release sensitive information on pollution and its origins. This month, the Beijing government started releasing real-time data on the most toxic form of air pollution. On Friday, Apple published a previously secret list of its suppliers and outlined the steps it has taken to deal with illegal discharges of hazardous waste. State planners are aware that transparency was a key element in the clean-up of other polluted countries, but it has struggled to enforce compliance and lacks the tools of an independent judiciary and free media that were also key elements in spreading and using data to put pressure on polluters.

China Cancer Village Tests Law Against Pollution

Reuters (January 16, 2012)

Environmental advocacy groups have filed a public interest lawsuit in a special environmental court for residents suffering from chromium pollution in China’s Yunnan province. In a country where non-governmental organizations have long been treated with suspicion by authorities, collective litigation by organizations with no government backing is breaking new ground in the environmental courts. The groups want the privately owned company responsible for the chromium pollution to establish a 10 million yuan ($1.6 million) compensation fund for an environmental clean-up.

China Urges Hydropower Developers to Heed Environment

Reuters (January 17, 2012)

China’s hydropower developers must “put ecology first” and pay strict attention to the impact of their projects on local rivers and communities, China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Tuesday, as the country embarks on another dam-building boom. The ministry’s intervention comes in the wake of a controversial decision to reduce the size of a protected nature reserve in southwest China’s Chongqing in order to allow the construction of the massive 30-billion yuan ($4.75 billion) Xiaonanhai hydropower plant on the Yangtze River. With new nuclear reactor construction suspended as a result of last year’s disaster at the Fukushima plant in Japan, analysts say big hydro is back in favor as the government tries to meet a pledge to increase the share of non-fossil fuel energy to at least 16 percent of the total by 2020.

China Report Spells Out “Grim” Climate Change Risks

Reuters (January 17, 2012)

Global warming threatens China’s march to prosperity by cutting crops, shrinking rivers and unleashing more droughts and floods, says the government’s latest assessment of climate change, projecting big shifts in how the nation feeds itself. The warnings are carried in the government’s “Second National Assessment Report on Climate Change,” which sums up advancing scientific knowledge about the consequences and costs of global warming for China – the world’s second biggest economy and the biggest emitter of greenhouse gas pollution. China’s rising emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas from burning fossil fuels, will begin to fall off only after about 2030, with big falls only after the mid-century, says the report.

China Turns Predominantly Urban

Wall Street Journal (January 18, 2012)

China has announced that people living in its towns and cities now outnumber those in the countryside, making it a predominantly urban nation for the first time in Chinese civilization. The historic milestone spotlights a trend that China’s government says will be a key driver of economic growth over the next two decades as hundreds of millions more people move into urban areas in search of higher-paying jobs. But it also points to the challenges facing Chinese leaders as mass migration places an increasing strain on urban housing, transport and welfare, while fueling pollution, social unrest and demands for political reform.

CDB Funding Solar Plants in US

China Daily (January 18, 2012)

A total of $64 million from China Development Bank Corp. (CDB) to construct solar power plants in California and New Jersey helps create jobs and benefits the local economy, said a spokesman for Solar Power Inc. (SPI). China-based LDK Solar Co. Ltd. announced on Jan. 4 that it had secured $20 million from CDB to construct two solar power plants in California. In addition, SPI, a California-based company majority owned by LDK, received $44 million from CDB to pay for the construction of solar projects it is working on jointly with KDC Solar LLC in New Jersey. In line with China’s “Go Global” strategy to acquire natural resources and expand China’s multinational businesses and brands, CDB has been scaling up its international lending.

(CENA prepared by Craig Spencer)

* The links and article summaries in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

See our bilingual (English and Chinese) blog dedicated to discussion of China's environmental law, policy and public participation at http://www.greenlaw.org.cn

China Environmental News Alert

2012-01-04T13:49:59Z

Greenlaw from NRDC China, NRDC China Program, Beijing

NRDC has been working in China for over twelve years on such issues as energy efficiency, green buildings, clean energy technologies, environmental governance and public participation, and green supply chain issues. This China Environmental News Alert is a weekly compilation of news from around the world on China and the environment.

December 26. 2011 - January 4, 2012

China Pollution Problem to Last 20-30 Years

The Guardian (January 3, 2012)

A leading Guangdong haze expert says that the air pollution in Chinese cities will last for at least 20 to 30 years. "It took the US and Europe 50 years to deal with their problem. Even if we cut that [PM2.5] in half, it will still take 20 to 30 years," said Wu Dui, of the Guangdong Meteorological Agency. Mr. Wu's analysis comes as the Chinese government plans to publicly release data on PM2.5, pollution that, if used as a standard for safety, would cause many Chinese cities to be rated as unhealthy. The government says about 70% of the air in Chinese cities meets existing national standards, which include measurements of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and bigger PM10 particulate matter. But deputy environment minister Zhang Lijun has warned that 70% will fall below acceptable levels if PM2.5 is added to the index.

China Moves Forward on Xiaonanhai Dam

The New York Times (December 29, 2011)

China will proceed with plans to build an 18-acre dam on part of a wildlife reserve, despite concerns about endangered riparian life in the area. Environmentalists had previously opposed the plan because they believed the reserve's 189 varieties of fish -- many of which are not found anywhere else in the world -- would no longer be able to reproduce under the altered habitat. Nonetheless, the Chinese State Council proceeded with the plan and removed the restriction of building near the reserve, essentially paving the way for the dam to be built. The electricity from the $3.8 billion project is expected to cost $2144 per kilowatt hour and will displace 400,000 rural farmers. Although the project's leaders expect the dam to create jobs, environmentalists believe that the job growth will only be temporary.

Mengniu Dairy Destroys Milk Contaminated with Aflatoxin

The Washington Post (December 27, 2011)

The dairy company Mengniu has destroyed milk contaminated with aflatoxin (a cancer-causing toxin) at its Sichuan factories, the company said recently. Although none of the contaminated milk was said to have reached Chinese consumers, the company nonetheless apologized for the scare. The company would not release how much aflatoxin was in the milk, or how widespread the problem. Aflatoxin is produced by a fungus that commonly grows in grain and legume crops such as peanuts, soybeans, corn and wheat. It can be found in the milk of animals that eat tainted crops. A government watchdog found the toxin in the milk, prompting the company to act. The aflatoxin problem comes in the wake of a 2008 scandal involving melamine in Chinese milk, which led to the death of six babies and the sickening of at least 300,000 people.

China Allowing Lawsuit Against ConocoPhillips to Proceed

International Business Times (January 2nd, 2012)

A Chinese court is allowing a $78 million lawsuit brought against ConocoPhillips to proceed after having dismissed a similar lawsuit in 2011, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Friday. The legal action was brought by a group of local sea cucumber farmers who claim their livestock was killed off by two June oil spills in the Bohai Sea. ConocoPhillips had previously acknowledged the leaks. Approximately 700 barrels of oil and some 2,500 barrels of mineral oil-based drilling mud were released into Bohai Bay during the June incidents. The industrial accidents that led to the leaks occurred at two separate platforms, according to company statements. One platform has been repaired, while the other well is permanently plugged and abandoned, ConocoPhilips said.

China Purchases Vietnamese and Russian Oil Amid Worries Surrounding Iran

Reuters (January 3, 2012)

As the United States and Europe have issued sanctions on Iranian oil, China's oil trader Unipec has switched from purchasing Iranian oil to Russian and Vietnamese oil in an effort to strengthen its hand in contract negotiations with Iran. China, which received 11% of its oil from Iran in the first 11 months of 2011, is the Middle Eastern country's largest trading partner. In an effort to weaken the Iranian oil export market, US President Barack Obama signed legislation into law on Saturday that placed restrictions on the ability of refiners to purchase the oil. The Iranian government has responded by threatening to block the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint through which 40% of the world's oil is transported. The tense exchanges between the two countries, exacerbated by concerns over Iran's nuclear program, have caused oil prices to rise to over $110 a barrel. With higher oil prices, China is attempting to preserve its energy security by looking toward other stable trading partners.

China Hopes to Triple Coalbed Output by 2015

Xinhua (January 3, 2012)

According to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China aims to produce 30 billion cubic meters (bcm) of coalbed methane gas in 2015--more than triple the approximately 9 bcm produced in 2010--as part of a five-year plan for the industry. Coalminers often pump coalbed gas into the air before extracting coal. About 30 percent of such gas was utilized in 2010. With increased use of coalbed gas, the government hopes to lessen the amount of deaths attributed to coal mining in the country. Through such efforts, authorities aim to bring down gas-related coal mine accidents and deaths in 2015 both by at least 40 percent from the 2010 levels, according to the NDRC. Based on NDRC data, a total of 593 miners died in 135 gas-related accidents in China's coal mines in 2010.

Electric Battery for Wind and Solar Energy Completed in China

Earth Techling (January 3, 2012)

The Chinese battery manufacturer BYD has announced completion of a battery that can store electricity generated from wind and solar energy. The utility-scale project –- in Zhangbei, Hebei Province, and owned by the State Grid Corporation of China –- consists of 100 megawatts (MW) of wind power generation capacity, 40 MW of solar, 36 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery-based energy storage and a smart power transmission system. The $500 million (about 3.3 billion RMB) project is part of China’s “Golden Sun” program, a national subsidy program for solar energy systems. According to Xiu Binglin, deputy director of China’s National Energy Administration, the State Grid project is the "new model of development for China’s new energy resources.”

Zibo, China to Share Experience with Hyderabad, Pakistan on Solar

Dawn (January 3, 2012)

The Chinese city of Zibo, Shandong will advise Hyderabad on solar project management, according to officials familiar with trade between the two countries. Zibo, an important industrial city in China's northeast, is a major importer of cotton, while it exports medicine, industrial goods and other products. The sharing of solar experience will help Pakistan boost its own solar energy, while also helping trade relations between the two countries. China's ability to use Zibo as a positive example for the rest of the world is telling of the country's commitment to boosting its solar energy industry. Zibo will provide solar energy units to almost all new homes in Hyderabad in 2012.

China and France Plan Investments in US Shale Gas

Earth and Industry (January 2nd, 2012)

China's Sinopec, the country's second-largest oil company, announced plans to invest in a $2.5 billion deal to spur development of shale gas reservers in areas ranging from Ohio to Alabama. The company, which joined Oklahoma-based mining company Devon Energy, wants to learn about shale gas processing from the US in order to replicate the experience in China with the country's own developing shale gas industry. In the Sinopec-Devon deal, Sinopec is taking a one-third share in the five oil projects it is developing with Devon Energy but will pay $900 million in cash and 80 percent of the development costs (or up to $1.6 billion) reports The Financial Times. The additional costs born by Sinopec are being paid to Devon in exchange for transferring some of the technical knowledge used in shale gas development--namely horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.

(CENA prepared by Christopher Page)

* The links and article summaries in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

China Environmental News Alert

2011-12-28T15:21:14Z

Greenlaw from NRDC China, NRDC China Program, Beijing

December 21 – December 28

China Vows to Curb Heavy Metal Pollution

The Economic Times (December 20, 2011)

Heavy metal pollution has been a flash point in China in the past after cases of mass poisoning, especially in children, roused widespread public anger. China promised on Tuesday to contain heavy metal pollution but admitted it faces a challenge with inadequate environment protection resources in a rapidly growing economy. China’s targets to cut heavy metal pollution by 15% of 2007 levels by 2015 while keeping non-heavy metal pollution below 2007 levels are in line with goals outlined by its five-year economic blueprint. To help China protect its environment, the Chinese Environment Minister signed deals with 31 provincial governments and eight state firms to cut emissions. China also aims to build at least 1,184 new sewage treatment plants that can treat 45.7 million tons of sewage each day, and furbish thermal power plants with a combined capacity of 400 million kilowatts with the capability to remove sulfur.

China Solar Subsidies Pose Dilemma for U.S. Trade

Huffington Post (December 20, 2011)

American solar panel manufacturers filed a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission and Department of Commerce, alleging that Chinese manufacturers are illegally selling their products below cost so as to drive international manufacturers out of business and eliminate competition. However, the rate at which Chinese manufacturers have helped drive down the costs of rooftop solar is astounding. New research estimates that costs have come down 70 percent since 2009, making the renewable energy source readily available for millions more Americans. The U.S. solar industry is split on whether China's subsidized solar imports are hurting or helping its own growth.

China Seeks $536 Billion of Investments to Protect Environment

Bloomberg (December 21, 2011)

According to the State Council, China needs about 3.4 trillion yuan ($536 billion) of investments for environmental protection in the five years through 2015. The investment is part of a campaign to move the world’s second-biggest economy away from a model that derived most of its growth from exports and investments for roads, railways and airports. Companies and local authorities will be mainly responsible for the investments, while the central government will give support as needed. Senior Chinese leaders including President Hu Jintao have pledged to bolster domestic consumption, conserve energy and reduce pollution as part of efforts to create more sustainable economic growth.

ConocoPhillips Near to Submitting Report on Impact of Oil Spill

China Daily (December 22, 2011)

ConocoPhillips China, the operator of the Penglai 19-3 oilfield in the Bohai Bay, said on Wednesday that it is finalizing a revised environmental impact assessment and will soon submit it to the maritime authorities. A compensation fund, which was first announced in September, will be independently administered by a third-party agency and will compensate affected people, communities and industries near Bohai Bay. The company did not release details about the fund or the timetable for its establishment. ConocoPhillips said it has already established an environmental fund to support a portfolio of short and long-term projects.

Sinochem targets 'green development' as future strategy

China Daily (December 23, 2011)

Sinochem Group, China’s state-owned chemicals giant, has identified "green development" as a key strategic focus to achieve economic benefits and shoulder more social responsibility. The company currently holds more than 40 national patents, has established two national standards and has won a number of awards, including one from the United Nations Environment Program. Sinochem Group has formed a complete industrial chain covering the development, production, marketing and distribution of fluorite and hydrofluoric resources. Its subsidiary, Sinochem Lantian Co Ltd, also serves as the sole national lab to support the research and development of replacements for ozone-depleting substances (ODS). The total volume of ODS replacements manufactured by Sinochem has reached 60,000 tons, around 30 percent of the national capacity.

Reward Urged for Efforts of Upstream Districts

China Daily (December 23, 2011)

According to a member of the municipal people’s congress, an ecological compensation system for water source protection and exploitation should be established in Beijing as soon as possible. The compensation system will require districts at the lower reaches of rivers or lakes in the capital to compensate upstream areas, which are often overexploited. Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, expressed concern that the ecological compensation system would be difficult to be put into effect. It will take time and much effort to identify benefits and coordinate compensation between the various districts.

CNOOC Guangdong Gas Leak Under Control

Xinhua (December 23, 2011)

A leaking pipe at an offshore natural gas plant in Guangdong province is now under control according to the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, which reported the incident on Monday. Two platforms have been shut down due to the leak and the net production impact of the closure is expected to be more than 26 thousand barrels of oil per day. The gas leak is CNOOC’s third offshore accident since June, when successive oil spills occurred at two drilling platforms in the Penglai oil field. CNOOC has been struggling from the impact of the leaks, and experts believe production won’t recover until the fourth quarter of 2012.

In China, Power in Nascent Electric Car Industry

New York Times (December 26, 2011)

Three years ago, as part of its green-energy policy, the Chinese government set an ambitious goal: by the end of 2011, the nation would be able to produce at least 500,000 hybrid or all-electric cars and buses a year. With only about a week to go, it is clear China will fall far short of that target with actual annual production capacity at only several thousand hybrid and all-electric cars and buses. However, it would be shortsighted to count out China’s electric car efforts just yet. Only a few months ago Prime Minister Wen Jiabao called for Beijing to create a new “road map” for energy-saving vehicles. Unlike in other nations, where automakers are leading the push for electric vehicles, in China the effort is being led largely by one of the country’s most powerful industries — the state-run electric companies that operate the national power grid.

Natural Gas Imports Expected to Increase

China Daily (December 27, 2011)

China's reliance on natural gas imports will continue, accounting for more than half of the country's total consumption, as demand surges for the fuel for both industrial and residential use. China, which is widely estimated to realize more than 9 percent growth in GDP in 2011, imported 3.1 billion cubic meters of natural gas in November, 1.5 times higher than during the same month last year, according to figures from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The increase in November saw the nation's total imports of natural gas in the first 11 months of the year grow by 91.5 percent year-on-year to 28.1 billion cubic meters.

Emission Indexes to be Published

China Daily (December 27, 2011)

Indexes measuring greenhouse gas emissions and power consumption will be published on a pilot basis next year in the latest move to meet energy-saving targets and restructure the economy. Five provinces, including East China's Shandong province and North China's Shanxi province, have been chosen as the pilot areas. The main target group of this survey will be enterprises, but it also covers transport agencies and some public institutions. Earlier this month in Durban, South Africa, delegates from China vowed to control domestic emissions at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, but the absence of statistical information impedes the green drive.

Some Chinese Turn to U.S. Embassy for Clarity in Smog Data

USA Today (December 27, 2011)

Doubts about official pollution data keep piling up for the Chinese government, as green activists, celebrity bloggers and ordinary citizens increasingly demand action and information to halt the environmental fall-out from decades of breakneck economic growth. Burning coal is largely responsible for the oppressive smog, which the United Nations has rated the worst in the world. The US embassy’s air pollution measurements use a standard employed by the US EPA to measure airborne particles that are under 2.5 micrometers in diameter. China publishes figures using a standard that measures coarser particular matter and does not publicize the measurements of smaller particles. Under growing pressure, Beijing is now revising national air-quality monitoring standards and promises to require the release of data on smaller particulates by 2016.

(CENA prepared by Christina Whang)

* The links and article summaries in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

See our bilingual (English and Chinese) blog dedicated to discussion of China's environmental law, policy and public participation at http://www.greenlaw.org.cn

China Environmental News Alert

2011-12-21T08:57:39Z

Greenlaw from NRDC China, NRDC China Program, Beijing

December 11 - December 20

Air, Noise Pollution Among Chinese Urbanites’ Most Common Concerns: Survey

Xinhua (December 12, 2011)

Roughly 63 percent of Chinese urban residents said they were satisfied with the local environment, with air quality and noise being their top concerns, according to new survey results. The results, released on December 12 by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, were based on the National Bureau of Statistics randomly phoning citizens of most Chinese cities with a series of questions last year. The satisfaction rate of respondents toward air quality was 55.2 percent, 7.7 percentage points lower than the satisfaction rate of 62.9 percent for the general environment. A recent government proposal for a tighter system of monitoring pollution nationwide, including using the “PM 2.5” measure of microscopic airborne particles, has won support from a majority of the Chinese public.

Durban Climate Talks: Media in China and India Cautiously Upbeat

The Guardian (December 12, 2011)

In China and India – the world’s two biggest developing nations – the media reaction to the Durban climate talks agreement was cautiously upbeat. The China Daily, which is the government’s mouthpiece to the English speaking world, struck a positive tone. Although its articles noted that much work still needed to be done, it firmly placed the blame on nations that industrialized earlier. China’s priority is stable economic growth, but the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases is also keen to show that it is playing its part in global efforts to move to a low-carbon economy. Government officials were clearly shocked by the criticism China received after the Copenhagen conference in 2009 and have adjusted their public diplomacy and negotiating tactics to avoid being painted as intransigent this time. Elements of the Indian media struck a more nationalistic and triumphalist tone. The Hindustan Times, for example, painted the outcome as a victory for India.

China to Create Its Own System to Count Carbon Emissions

Xinhua (December 13, 2011)

China plans to develop its own new comprehensive system for monitoring and accurately calculating the country’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a leading Chinese scientist said Tuesday. Researchers will compile GHG emission lists for quantitative evaluation of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated through both natural processes and human activities, as part of an ongoing research program lead by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Ding Zhongli, vice president of CAS, said that China also plans to set up a system to monitor atmospheric CO2 concentration through satellite remote sensing, aerial and ground monitoring, and atmospheric modeling. China’s scientific community will research carbon sequestration and climate change’s impacts on different regions of the country for climate adaptation and green development.

Global Automakers Rev Up New Energy Cars in China

China Economic Net (December 14, 2011)

Honda, Volvo, Shanghai GM, Volkswagen China, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz are all acclerating their efforts and expanding their operations in the Chinese electric and hybrid car market. The Chinese government has been heavily promoting the use of new energy cars in public transport, public areas and private ownership. There are currently 25 cities in China that are piloting new energy car programs as well as government-initiated electric vehicle subsidies in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Hefei, Changchun, and Beijing.

Nuclear Approvals May Restart: Official

China Daily (December 14, 2011)

Chinese regulators may be able to again approve new nuclear projects within six months, a senior government official said on December 13. That resumption will come shortly after the State Council signs draft safety rules proposed by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said the official, who works in the ministry’s National Nuclear Safety Administration and declined to provide his name. After a large earthquake and tsunami struck Japan’s coast on March 11 and damaged the Fukushima Daiichi plant, China halted giving approvals to new nuclear plants. It also started a national safety check of both existing nuclear power stations and those that are under construction. China will not swerve from its goal of coming to rely more on nuclear power, said Xie Zhenhua, vice-minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, on Nov. 22.

Govt Seeks New Ways to Set Prices for Wind Power

China Daily (December 15, 2011)

China is looking at abandoning the use of public auctions to set the price for offshore wind power projects, said an official from the National Energy Administration (NEA). Instead of using that system to arrive at a standard price, the government is considering allowing several big state-owned companies to plan such a project through negotiating with local governments and authorities such as the State Oceanic Administration. To support the development of policies and technology for renewable energy, the Chinese government, with the World Bank and Global Environment Facility, plans to start the second phase of the China Renewable Energy Scale-up Program next year with a Global Environment Facility grant of $27 million. The NEA said China aims to have the capacity to generate 5 gigawatts from offshore wind power by 2015.

Helping Drivers Make Switch to Electric Cars

China Daily (December 15, 2011)

Despite a slow increase in the domestic sales of electric cars, Chinese buyers are expected to become more willing to drive these alternative-fuel vehicles in the near future, said an industry leader. China has sought to encourage the development of electric vehicles to promote the use of clean energy, but a genuine increase in sales has yet to come. Potential customers have been left cold by the high cost of electric cars, their small driving range and, particularly, the underdeveloped charging infrastructure. China Southern Power Grid (CSG) and Isreal’s Better Place have recently opened southern China's first fully automated battery switch facility in Guangzhou. CSG has signed electric vehicle infrastructure agreements with Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou and other provinces to build 14 charging stations, a step to support the national energy-conservation and low-emission strategy.

China to Make Smart Investment

Electrical Efficiency Magazine (December 15, 2011)

China is set to lead the world in smart grid infrastructure after recently laying out plans for massive investment in the sector. China’s State Grid Corporation announced at the 2011 Smart Grid World Forum in Beijing that it would be targeting smart grids in its energy strategy to 2020. This strategy is set to see China invest $250 billion in electric power infrastructure power upgrades over the next five years, which includes $45 billion of investment in smart grid technology. The country also has plans to increase its solar power generating capacity to 10 GW by 2015 and 50 GW by 2020. The Chinese have set a target of producing 9.5 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2015.

ConocoPhillips Submits New Penglai Report

Upstream Online (December 16, 2011)

ConocoPhillips has found little evidence that a spill at an oilfield off China has caused widespread environmental damage, according to a report. The US supermajor has also submitted a revised overall development plan to the Chinese government in respect to the Penglai 19-3 oilfield which was ordered shut earlier this year due to the leaks, Reuters reported on December 16. The oil spill began in June in China’s Bohai Bay, the country's largest offshore oilfield, and has polluted 6,200 square kilometers of waters, China’s State Ocean Administration said. ConocoPhillips has been asked to draw up a new environmental impact assessment report for the oilfield which has yet to be submitted.

China to Unveil New Energy Consumption Strategy

China Daily (December 17, 2011)

China is set to unveil a plan to impose controls on total energy consumption, said Zhang Ping, director of the National Development and Reform Commission on December 16. The new plan, together with an energy-intensity target that has already been set for the period between 2011 and 2015, will provde policy guidelines for energy conservation and the reduction of emissions, said Zhang, without giving a timetable. The controls will be allocated to provincial governments. The plan will not only have an impact on GDP growth but will also influence energy structure and price. Maintaining price stability remains the prime aim of the government’s macroeconomic controls next year, according to Mr. Zhang.

China to Debut Green Tax to Spur Environmental Protection by 2015

People’s Daily Online (December 19, 2011)

China will begin implementing its long-awaited new green tax by 2015, a senior Chinese official said over the weekend, indicating that the country will rely more on market instruments to achieve its target of lowering carbon emission. Calls for a comprehensive environmental tax have grown in recent years, as China’s breakneck development has taken a heavy toll on its resources and environment. However, some believe that the tax only scratches the surface of the country’s environmental problems.

(CENA prepared by Craig Spencer)

* The links and article summaries in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

See our bilingual (English and Chinese) blog dedicated to discussion of China's environmental law, policy and public participation at http://www.greenlaw.org.cn

China Environmental News Alert

2011-12-13T03:38:44Z

Greenlaw from NRDC China, NRDC China Program, Beijing

November 28th – December 10th, 2011

Beijing Considers Reporting PM 2.5 Data to Public

The Chinese government is considering reporting PM2.5 pollution data to the public after it received over 1500 requests from the public for publication of such data. PM2.5 particles, which are small enough to cause lung damage and other health problems, also causes economic damage to the country. Last week, several hundred flights to Beijing’s Capital Airport, the world’s second busiest airport, were canceled. According to some environmental experts, if PM2.5 were the standard taken into account for air quality, over 80% of Chinese cities would have unsatisfactory air quality. In addition to PM2.5, the agency is also considering stricter standards for some pollutants it already measures, including PM10 and nitrogen oxide.

Purchase of Organic Food Soaring in China

China Daily (December 12th, 2011)

In the wake of several food safety scandals, wealthier and more educated Chinese consumers are increasingly buying organic food. The organic retailer Lohao City said that its sales of organic food have increased by 30 percent this year. Reflecting this trend, the amount of companies obtaining certification from the China Organic Food Certification Center increased by 18 percent from 2009 to 2010. Despite the increase in purchasing and certification of companies, some consumers remain unconvinced that the organic label reflects the quality of the product. According to Chinese news reports, organic food labels and certificates are readily available, leading some consumers to believe that organic food is simply non-organic food with a special label.

China’s Discovery of Shale Gas a Boon to Energy Supply

Boston Globe (December 8th, 2011)

PetroChina announced Friday that it has discovered twenty separate shale gas reserves in the western province of Sichuan, all with the capability of producing more than 10,000 cubic meters of gas per day. Energy observers believe that the discovery of the reserves will allow China to curb its import of natural gas, which appeared set to soar before the discovery. In the United States, the drilling of shale gas has allowed the country to explore the option of exporting natural gas to Asia and other parts of the world. Environmental costs of drilling, which involves blasting chemical-laced water and sand deep into the ground, has led some experts to condemn the use of shale gas reserves. Those critics contend that the chemicals used in the shale gas drilling process, know as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, are carcinogens that threaten drinking water supplies.

Number of Chinese Solar Panel Manufacturers Set to Shrink

Bloomberg (November 29th 2011)

The number of Chinese solar panel manufacturers will decrease from 330 to 15 manufacturers within five years, according to a research group at the nation’s top economic planning agency. The expected decrease in manufacturers comes as a result of Chinese companies’ inability to sell their existing inventory of solar panels. Over the past five years, the number of solar panel manufacturers has soared as Europe and other nations have launched subsidy programs for solar energy. As those subsidy programs have been phased out, the cost of solar energy has plummeted, leading to lower margins for most Chinese solar manufacturers, including Suntech and LDK, two of the world’s largest solar companies.

China and Bill Gates in Discussions of New Nuclear Reactor

Guardian (December 7th, 2011)

While speaking at the China Ministry of Science and Technology, Bill Gates discussed the possibility of developing a new kind of nuclear reactor that uses depleted uranium. Gates said the reactor would be low waste, low-cost and very safe. The reactors would be able to simulate tidal waves and earthquakes, which would “take safety to a new level,” Gates said. The co-founder of Microsoft predicted it might take up to a billion dollars of investment over the course of five years to develop the technology, which he hoped would help China increase its output of clean energy.

China Agrees to Enter Climate Pact by 2020

Wall Street Journal (December 11th, 2011)

China, India and the United States agreed in Durban last week to enter into a legally binding climate deal by 2020. The countries, which are the three largest emitters of carbon dioxide worldwide, will develop a climate plan by 2015 in order to have a framework in place in 2020. The deal came after China and India nearly derailed the process by refusing to accept a “legal instrument.” China derailed the Copenhagen conference in 2009 by declining to accept a legally binding deal for 2013. The United States has said it will not accept legally binding targets until China and India also agree to make cuts in emissions. The latest deal between the three countries suggests that the climate deal may be able to pass through Congress, unlike previous bills.

China to Conduct First Panda Census in Ten Years

Los Angeles Times (December 7th, 2011)

Over the next year, China will conduct its first count of wild pandas in ten years, according to researchers with China’s Forestry Ministry. The current number of pandas remains somewhat of a mystery because they live deep in the forests of mountains in Shaanxi, Sichuan and Gansu provinces. Over 100 people will conduct the count throughout more than 12,000 square miles of treacherous mountain passes in the provinces. The last time the census was conducted, between 2000 and 2001, researchers found nearly 1,600 pandas in the wild. Scientists are want to know how the last ten years of development of railroads and highways have affected the population of the pandas, which suffer from inbreeding and loss of habitat.

China to Use Dogs to Sniff Out Illegal Wildlife Shipments

World Wildlife Federation (December 6th, 2011)

China’s General Administration of Customs of China recently organized a meeting to discuss how to use dogs to detect illegal shipments of wildlife goods. The meeting’s organizers expect all of China’s major ports to be equipped with the dogs. Beijing’s Drug Detector Dog Training Center is training the first wildlife-detecting dog, which will be deployed soon. Other countries that use dogs to control wildlife shipments include Germany, Kenya and Thailand. Rare wildlife products, including elephant ivory and agarwood, have been increasingly found in China’s ports, causing authorities to look for new methods to control the wildlife trade.

China’s Green Energy Revolution to Continue

Reuters (December 6th, 2011)

China plans to install the equivalent of 180 nuclear power reactors in solar and wind power capacity by 2020, according to the International Energy Agency. By that year, the country will have added 180 gigawatts of solar and wind capacity, equal to the total world capacity added during the past 40 years. From 2009 to 2035, China’s energy use will grow by an annual rate of 4 percent, pushing the country’s total energy use to 9,000 terrawatts. Between 2009 and 2035, China will account for one third of global energy demand growth.

(CENA prepared by Chris Page)

* The links and article summaries in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

See our bilingual (English and Chinese) blog dedicated to discussion of China's environmental law, policy and public participation at http://www.greenlaw.org.cn

China Environmental News Alert

2011-11-28T09:19:59Z

Greenlaw from NRDC China, NRDC China Program, Beijing

November 23 – November 28

China issues White Paper on climate change

Xinhua (November 23, 2011)

China’s top economic planning body has issued a White Paper on combating climate change, summarizing past efforts, and laying out a clear road map for green development over the next five years. Legally binding targets for the next five years include a 17% cut in carbon emissions, a 16 percent decrease in energy use per unit of GDP, and a goal of lifting non-fossil-fuel energy usage from its current level of 8.6 percent, to 11.4 percent of total energy consumption. China has already made headway in energy efficiency and research into renewable energy sources, but challenges remain. Rather than solely targeting industrial companies, focus has shifted to include both manufacturing and consumption. The White Paper also lays out plans to cap China’s total energy consumption, and launch a pilot project for a carbon emissions trading market.

China supports UN green industry initiative

People’s Daily (November 24, 2011)

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) issued a green economy report showing that China, the world's second largest economy, is also the world's leading investor in renewable energy, overtaking Spain in 2009 and spending 49 billion U.S. dollars in 2010. In order to realize the shift from a brown, contaminative and inefficient economy to a green one, it is necessary for China to invest 2 percent of the annual global GDP in 10 pivotal economic sectors, such as agriculture, energy, construction and manufacturing, according to the report.

WWF to promote low-carbon innovation in China

Xinhua (November 24, 2011)

WWF launched the Climate Solver program, intended to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the globe promote low-carbon innovations and tackle climate change. Partnered with Jiangsu Productivity Promotion Center, Baoding National Development Zone and two others, the project aims to cooperate with the government to create an enabling policy and financial environment for developing, transferring and spreading low-carbon innovations and technologies of enterprises if they become climate solvers. SMEs will play a role in the transition into a new global energy system where renewable energies represent a majority of energy supplies.

Water Cooperation Deal signed in Xi’an

China Daily (November 25, 2011)

The Dutch industrial water company Evides and three leading research institutes – the Technical University of Delft (The Netherlands), the National Engineering Center of Urban Water Resources of Harbin Institute of Technology (Heilongjiang province) and the Provincial Academy of Environmental Science at Xi'an (Shaanxi province) – signed a cooperation agreement on November 25, 2011, which represents the start of the Sino-Dutch Research Program (SDRP). The SDRP combines fundamental and applied research and focuses on the development of new and improved advanced waste water treatment technologies, reuse technologies and zero liquid technologies. The goal is to create process designs that contribute to substantially higher sustainability standards while achieving improved reliability at competitive costs. This is especially valuable for the chemical industry in the northern provinces of Shaanxi, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia autonomous region and Ningxia Hui autonomous region, where tough chemical challenges and water shortages demand new approaches to safeguard the availability of water while limiting the water footprint of the chemical industry on the environment.

China starts investigation into U.S. support for renewable energy sector

Xinhua (November 25, 2011)

The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Friday that it will start an investigation into the U.S. government's policy support and subsidies for its renewable energy sector over trade barrier concerns. The MOC will look into six renewable energy programs concerning wind, solar and hydroelectric energy in the states of Washington, Massachusetts, Ohio, New Jersey and California. The applicants requested the elimination of any negative influence from the U.S. government's policy support and subsidies in order to maintain a fair trade environment, according to the statement.

China, Japan join hands in energy conservation efforts

Xinhua (November 26, 2011)

China and Japan inked agreements to join hands on 51 projects in energy conservation and environment protection, the latest cooperation between the two countries in the sector. The projects will cover the setup of a mechanism on energy-saving standards, enhancement of thermal power efficiency, standardization of semiconductor lighting, sea water desalination and other related subjects.

Green Drivers

China Daily (November 27, 2011)

Energy conservation and environmental protection is a long-term strategy as well as an urgent practical option for China. Without structural adjustment and transformation, China is unlikely to maintain sustainable economic growth and a robust momentum of economic development. Energy conservation and environmental protection are among the seven strategic emerging industries in advancing China's economic development. China has huge potential in the energy-saving and environmental protection market, offering many opportunities for both domestic and international companies.

China steps up efforts to cut emission

China Daily (November 27, 2011)

In response to the government's call to build a greener economy, China's transport authorities have taken a slew of measures to promote energy saving and emission reductions in the sector. Under the sector's funding policy unveiled earlier this year, 122 emission-cutting projects in the industry have received financial support totaling 250 million yuan ($39.3 million). Encouraged by the special funds, another 8.06 billion yuan in investment went to the projects, according to the Ministry of Transport (MOT). Meanwhile, the MOT has launched nationwide programs to promote low-carbon traffic. It has carried out 80 pilot projects on emission control and designated 10 cities as pilot areas to study and promote green transport system, including Tianjin, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Guiyang, Baoding and Wuhan.

China's Qinshan nuclear power plant in safe operation for 20 years

Xinhua (November 27, 2011)

China's first-ever nuclear power plant, Qinshan nuclear power plant has maintained safe and stable operation for 20 years, according to a symposium held by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) on Saturday. During the past two decades, Qinshan nuclear power plant, situated not far away from Shanghai, has caused no accidents that either endangered human safety or impacted the environment, and all its nuclear radiation indicators are not beyond the background radiation levels of the natural environment. The first phase of Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant was the first nuclear power plant on the Chinese mainland which was designed, built and operated independently by domestic engineers.

Climate change talks begin today

China Daily (November 28, 2011)

Delegations from more than 190 countries on Monday are gathering together in Durban, South Africa to start the new round of climate change talks, in an effort to slash greenhouse gas emissions and reduce risks to humanity. The most crucial decisions and negotiations on tough issues will happen at the ministerial level meeting in the second week when most environment ministers arrive. Delegations will strive to reach a consensus in the last few days and hopefully hammer out legally binding agreements before the last minute.

(CENA prepared by Christina Whang)

* The links and article summaries in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

See our bilingual (English and Chinese) blog dedicated to discussion of China's environmental law, policy and public participation at http://www.greenlaw.org.cn

China Environmental News Alert

2011-11-22T07:27:08Z

Greenlaw from NRDC China, NRDC China Program, Beijing

November 8 - November 22

Why “Farm-Fresh Food” in China May Be a Thing of the Distant Past

MetalMiner (November 8, 2011)

China’s heavy metal appetite for the likes of lead, zinc, copper and other building blocks of construction and transportation has rendered much of its environment less-than-fit for human existence. Nearly 10 percent of China’s 1.22 million square kilometers of farmland is polluted with the remnants of lead, zinc and other metal production, according to Reuters. Lead is arguably the biggest offender, with China being the metal’s largest consumer. Battery making accounts for 70 percent of China’s total lead consumption.

With Anger Over Dirty Air Rising, Beijing Tries Tours of Monitoring Center

The New York Times (November 9, 2011)

Environmental officials who have resisted releasing comprehensive data about air pollution in Beijing announced that they would take action to address increasing complaints that the government’s monitoring system fails to report on the most dangerous airborne particles emitted by the growing ranks of cars and trucks. The action: allowing 40 people to tour the source of the frustration, Beijing’s monitoring center, once a week. The move is significant as an instance of Chinese officials responding to popular discontent. The city’s environmental bureau currently releases data on pollutants, but many environmentalists and scientists say the more dangerous particles, those smaller than 2.5 micrometers, or PM 2.5, are left out of the daily assessments.

Green Group Accuses China of Climate Blackmail

The Guardian (November 9, 2011)

An environmental group has accused China of climate blackmail after threats to vent powerful greenhouse gases if Europe cuts off carbon credits next year. The row over hydrofluorocarbon-23 – which have a much greater warming effect than carbon dioxide and linger in the atmosphere for 200 years – has intensified before international climate negotiations in Durban this month. Since 2005, Chinese firms have received a bulk of the $6bn in carbon credits for the reduction of these gases, which are produced in the manufacturing of refrigerant chemicals. The money has mostly come from European firms that have bought the offsets under the clean development mechanism, but this source of funding will come to an end next year.

World Headed for Irreversible Climate Change in Five Years, IEA Warns

The Guardian (November 9, 2011)

The world is likely to build so many fossil-fuelled power stations, energy-guzzling factories and inefficient buildings in the next five years that it will become impossible to hold global warming to safe levels, and the last chance of combating dangerous climate change will be “lost for ever,” according to the most thorough analysis yet of world energy infrastructure. Anything built from now on that produces carbon will do so for decades, and this “lock-in” effect will be the single most likely to produce irreversible climate change, the world’s foremost authority on energy economics has found. If this is not rapidly changed within the next five years, the results are likely to be disastrous. This warning comes at a crucial moment in international negotiations on climate change, as governments gear up for the next fortnight of talks in Durban, South Africa, from late November.

The Developing World, Leading on Climate Change?

The New York Times Blog (November 9, 2011)

In what may turn out to be one of the abiding ironies of global geopolitics, leadership on climate change seems to have suddenly passed from the developed to the developing world, as has public anxiety about the damaging effects of climate change. A 2010 survey found that more than 70 percent of the people in China, India and South Korea would be willing to pay more for energy if this would help mitigate the effects of climate change. Fewer than 40 percent of Americans are willing to do that.

Shark Fin Soup Disappearing from the Menu at Chinese Weddings

The Guardian (November 10, 2011)

A growing campaign is developing to ban the trade in shark fin that has now spread to its most lucrative market, Hong Kong. Rising prosperity since the 1970s has made the delicacy affordable to the middle classes. Many shark populations have plummeted by 90% in recent decades, according to campaigners, who warn that if over-fishing continues at the current rate, the most commonly targeted species will be extinct in a few years.

China Official Says Air Pollution Rules Too Lax

Reuters (November 11, 2011)

China’s air pollution standards are too lax, a senior environmental official said in comments published on Friday, the highest level comment following complaints that authorities are understating the extent of smog that often envelopes Beijing. A point of contention is the government’s unwillingness to disclose measures for tiny floating particles that doctors warn can more easily settle in the lungs and cause respiratory problems and other illnesses.

China’s Rising Climate Risk

Climate Spectator (November 14, 2011)

China’s government believes climate change is increasing the pressure on the country’s already stressed water, food and energy resources, putting further strain on already stretched infrastructure and compounding the problem of rising food prices, water scarcity and power shortages. To meet tough new environmental targets being introduced by the government, some provinces may have to change the make-up of their economies. This raises important questions about where companies set up operations and source materials from. In turn, this increases business risk for companies sourcing from, operating in and selling to China.

China Shuts 90% of Lead-Acid Battery Plants as Prices Drop

Bloomberg (November 15, 2011)

China has shuttered almost 90 percent of lead-acid battery makers in a government crackdown to curb lead poisoning cases, cutting sales and weighing on metal prices, said an industry group. Local environmental protection bureaus have inspected 1,744 lead-storage battery makers and only 229 are still operating, Cao Guoqing, deputy secretary general of the China Battery Industry Association, said in an e-mailed response to questions. China is the world’s largest exporter of the batteries used in electric bicycles and hybrid vehicles.

Nissan Leaf May Choke in Hong Kong Smog

Bloomberg News (November 15, 2011)

Nissan Motor Co. is finding it hard to sell their all-electric Leaf in Hong Kong. Even with subsidies that are among the most generous in Asia, only 64 Nissan Leaf EVs were sold in Hong Kong during the first nine months of the year. Part of the problem is that the carmakers’ target market of trendsetting early adopters are proving hard to find, with Hong Kong residents more likely to desire more luxurious models. Vehicles are the second-biggest source of pollution in Hong Kong after power stations, and their numbers rose 9.6 percent between 2004 and 2009, according to the government. Roadside smog reached “very high” levels for a record one in four days in 2010.

Lawmakers Take Aim at Millions in US Aid To China

Bloomberg (November 15, 2011)

On November 15, a House panel took a close and critical look at $4 million of proposed funding for promoting clean energy, encouraging the rule of law and fighting wildlife trafficking in China. The committee has put that aid, approved last year, on hold as it presses for explanations from the U.S. Agency for International Development on how the money would be used. An assistant administrator for USAID stated that the aid supported U.S. values and interests and that none of the programs directly funds the Chinese government or involves the transfer of technology. The aid aims to improve China’s environmental law and regulatory system and, with support from U.S. companies, offers training to Chinese factories and international environmental and health standards. In the past decade, various U.S. government agencies have provided nearly $275 million of assistance to China.

Apple Meets China Environmental Groups to Polish Image

BBC News (November 17, 2011)

Apple has met with environmental groups in China in a bid to quell concerns about pollution caused by its Chinese manufacturers. The move comes after a report in August alleged that some Apple manufacturers were discharging harmful pollutants. The Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) said the technology giant had shared its plans to address the issues during the talks. The IPE said Apple did not disclose the identity of its suppliers, but was confident the US company will work to ensure that its partners comply with environmental regulations.

Pollution Measures for Public Feedback

Xinhua (November 17, 2011)

The Ministry of Environmental Protection started gauging public opinion on revised air quality standards on November 16, following widespread calls for the government to provide more information on pollution. The new standards will, for the first time, include readings of concentrations less than PM2.5 (particulate matters smaller than 2.5 micrometers), a major cause of haze harmful to health, the ministry said in a website statement. Along with the new standards, the country’s existing Air Pollution Index will also be upgraded into the Air Quality Index. This will follow international practices to include ozone and carbon monoxide pollution levels as well as PM2.5. The ministry plans to adopt the new standards nationally by 2016, but key regions, not named, will be subject to the new standards earlier but no timetable was given.

China to Establish Climate Change Think Tank

China Daily (November 22, 2011)

China will establish its first national-level think tank on climate change issues, to focus on strategic research and international cooperation, said a senior government official. The new think tank will be established before the United Nations’ Durban Climate Change Conference, which is scheduled for November 28, said Li Junfeng, deputy director of the Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), on Monday. He said the center will employ the country’s best climate change scientists, researchers and analysts, but he declined to divulge more details about the members or the scale of the operation.

(CENA prepared by Craig Spencer)

* The links and article summaries in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

See our bilingual (English and Chinese) blog dedicated to discussion of China's environmental law, policy and public participation at http://www.greenlaw.org.cn

China Environmental News Alert

2011-11-08T09:29:49Z

Greenlaw from NRDC China, NRDC China Program, Beijing

October 31st – November 7th

China Plans to Phase Out Use of Incandescent Bulbs by 2012

Associated Press (November 4th, 2011)

China plans to ban the use of energy-inefficient light bulbs starting in 2012, according to a National Development and Reform Committee report. A ban on 100-watt and higher light bulbs will begin on October 1st, 2012, which will be followed by an outlaw of 60-watt and higher light bulbs on October 1st, 2014. The government hopes to ban all 15-watt and higher bulbs by October 1st, 2016; however it is less confident of the country’s ability to meet the 2016 target. Once the bulbs are phased out, the planning agency expects the country to save 48 billion kilowatt hours of power, or 48 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

Record Rise in Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions Attributed Partly to China

Associated Press (November 4th, 2011)

China’s growth in CO2 emissions, which are now 50 percent greater than that of the United States, substantially contributed to a record 7 percent increase in global carbon emissions in 2010. The figures for 2010 are higher than the worst-case scenario levels predicted by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) four years ago. Then, the IPCC thought the planet’s temperature’s would rise between 4 and 11 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century; however scientists now believe based on the new data that the rise in temperatures will be even higher than the 11 degree estimate. Since the developing world now emits about half of the world’s carbon dioxide, researchers are stressing the need to rein in emissions in China and India.

One Tenth of Chinese Farmland Polluted by Heavy Metals

Reuters (November 7th, 2011)

A survey of soil pollutants found that 10 percent of Chinese farmland is contaminated by lead, zinc and other heavy metal pollution at levels above the legal standard set by the Chinese government. Exposure to lead and other heavy metals can damage the reproductive system, kidneys and nerves. Although China’s environmental ministry has called for a crackdown on heavy metal pollution, the central government has not made major efforts to effectively dismantle toxic metal pollution. China’s production of batteries, which accounts for 70 percent of lead consumption in the country, is expected to continue to rise, which suggests that soil pollution will continue.

Chinese Companies to Slow Solar Panel Production

Reuters (November 2nd, 2011)

Chinese solar companies are curbing production of solar panels in response to declining profit margins that have resulted from a collapse in solar panel prices. Some factories have cut their production by as much as 75 percent, while smaller firms have completely shut down production. Solar panel prices have declined due to overproduction and Italy and Germany’s reduction in subsidies for the panels. A lowered economic outlook in Europe, which buys 90 percent of Chinese solar companies’ panels, has also caused the Chinese solar panel industry’s production targets to decrease.

Chinese Government Considering Changing Offshore Oil Rules

China Daily (November 7th, 2011)

The Chinese government is looking at strengthening regulations on offshore oil exploration in the wake of the Bohai oil spill, according to sources familiar with regulations. Regulator responsibility, especially for the Ministry of Land and Resources, the National Energy Administration, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the State Oceanic Administration would be strengthened. Detailed penalties for environmental damage caused by companies and violations of other rules would also be covered in the amendments.

Beijing’s Electric Taxis to Triple Next Year

China Daily (November 6th, 2011)

Beijing will add 100 new electric taxis to its existing fleet of 50 in 2012, according to the city’s transportation bureau. The new taxis, part of the Midi 2.0 series, will be able to drive 165 kilometers, which is 10 percent more than the existing fleet of electric cars, and will have batteries that charge faster than the existing cars' batteries, which last for eight hours. The taxis will reduce carbon dioxide output by 466 tons per car each year, and will result in an annual savings of 30,000 Yuan per car. Taxi drivers will pay 20 Yuan per day for electricity, which is less than the cost to fill up the car using gasoline.

Chinese Government Leaders Avoid Air Pollution with High-Tech Equipment

The New York Times (November 4th, 2011)

According to the Broad Group, a Chinese company, the Chinese government uses filtration devices extensively to purify the air in government compounds. According to the company, over 200 of the Broad Group’s devices filter air within the Great Hall of the People, the office of China’s president, Hu Jintao, and Zhongnan Hai, the Chinese government’s compound for senior leaders and their families. Although the company intended the news to be a promotion of its filtration systems, Chinese netizens used the news to express their dismay on Weibo that Chinese leaders enjoy such privileges.

Global Rare-Earth Metal Production Set to Climb

PC World (November 1st, 2011)

A U.S. rare-earth mining company, Molycorp, plans to re-open a rare-earth mine in California after 9 years of stopped production due to environmental concerns and inability to compete with Chinese prices. The facility, the United States’ only rare-earth mine to be in operation, is being rebuilt to produce 40,000 metric tons of rare-earth metal by 2013, which is 700 percent higher than the forecasted amount of metal to be produced at the mine this year. Since the 1980s, China has dominated the rare-earth metal production process, as its mining industry has been unconcerned about the environmental implications of its mining process. With the opening of the plant, Molycorp is showing that it intends to compete with China’s production.

China Warns US Retaliation on Solar Panels Could Cause “Lose-Lose” Situation

The Wall Street Journal (November 4th, 2011)

China insisted on Friday that its policies on solar energy comply with World Trade Organization rules, and that it disapproves of any inquiry into a perceived dumping of Chinese solar panels into the U.S. solar market. The statement comes in reaction to U.S. President Barack Obama’s statement in a television interview that he believed Chinese energy companies had engaged in “questionable” trade practices. China noted climate change in its rationale for its solar energy policies, stating, “The U.S. has no right to criticize other countries’ efforts to improve humanity’s environment.”

FDA Officials in China Explain New Food Safety Law

National Public Radio (November 3rd, 2011)

Officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration traveled to Beijing to promote their new law, the Food Safety Modernization Act, which will require Chinese food producers to do more to keep their food safe. Instead of relying on inspection of food when it enters the United States, foreign food suppliers must show that they have preventative measures in place to keep food safe through all levels of the supply chain. Globally, there will be 600 on-site audits of foreign food producers, which will be staffed with FDA inspectors until third party food inspectors can be trained and certified to monitor food safety.

(CENA prepared by Christopher Page)

* The links and article summaries in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

China Environmental News Alert

2011-10-31T14:41:20Z

Greenlaw from NRDC China, NRDC China Program, Beijing

October 24 - October 31

Disposable Chopsticks Strip Asian Forests

New York Times (October 24, 2011)

Each year, the equivalent of 3.8 million trees go into the manufacture of about 57 billion disposable pairs of chopsticks in China, according to statistics from that nation’s national forest bureau. Chopsticks add to a plague of regional deforestation. According to a 2008 United Nations report, 10,800 square miles of Asian forest are disappearing each year, a trend that must be arrested to fight climate change, given the vital role trees play in absorbing carbon dioxide. But disposable chopsticks pose risks of their own for consumers and the environment. While production standards exist in China, supervision is sometimes nonexistent, especially in small factories. Industrial-grade sulfur, paraffin, hydrogen peroxide and insect repellent are among the harmful chemicals that Chinese media investigations have exposed during production.

China Takes a Loss to Get Ahead in the Business of Fresh Water

New York Times (October 25, 2011)

The desalination industry has grown in cities near Beijing even though desalted water costs twice as much to produce as it sells for. Nevertheless, the owner of the complex, a government-run conglomerate called S.D.I.C., is moving to quadruple the plant’s desalinating capacity, making it China’s largest. The government has set its mind on becoming a force in the budding environment-related industry of supplying the world with fresh water. China’s latest five-year plan for the sector is expected to order the establishment of a national desalination industry The National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top-level state planning agency, is drafting plans to give preferential treatment to domestic companies that build desalting equipment or patent desalting technologies. The government’s plans could mean an investment of as much as 200 billion renminbi, or about $31 billion, by state-owned companies, government agencies and private partners.

China environment minister says nuclear safety risks climbing

Reuters (October 26, 2011)

China is facing increasing safety risks from its nuclear power plants as existing facilities age and a large number of new reactors go into operation, according to the country's environmental minister Zhou Shengxian. Zhou told legislators that the scale and pace of nuclear construction had accelerated, a larger range of technologies had been introduced, and potential sources of radiation had become more widespread, making it harder to monitor safety. Experts have expressed concern about the use of old second-generation reactor designs, a lack of qualified safety and operational staff, and construction of nuclear plants in earthquake and flood-prone regions in the country's interior.

China closes 7,000 enterprises for pollution violations in five years: white paper

Xinhua (October 27, 2011)

Chinese authorities have investigated over 80,000 cases of violation of environmental protection laws, and closed 7,293 offending enterprises over the past five years, according to a white paper issued by the Information Office of the State Council. The state has promulgated the Environmental Protection Law, which lays down the basic principle of coordinated development of economic construction, social development and environmental protection, and dictates that governments at all levels, all organizations and individuals have the right and duty to protect the environment.

Tears for the 'river pig'

China Daily (October 27, 2011)

Increasing pollution of the Yangtze River and the threat to the river’s finless porpoise population is also a warning for a third of the nation's population that depends on those waters. Scientists estimate that the finless porpoise, a freshwater dolphin which has lived in the Yangtze River and adjacent lakes for over 20 million years, will become extinct within 15 years. Between 1991 and 2006, their numbers had dropped from approximately 2,700 to between 1,200 and 1,400. Now, scientists estimate the number of Yangtze finless porpoises is around 1,000 (there are more giant pandas), and the number is decreasing at the rate of 5 percent every year. Besides the extreme weather, human activities are a crucial reason for the deterioration of the porpoise’s natural habitat.

Beijing enhance environment for new energy cars

China Daily (October 28, 2011)

Beijing plans to build the best environment for the development of new energy vehicles in China, according to a statement by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology. From 2011 to 2015, Beijing will push forward the research and industrialization of battery-powered electric vehicles and these vehicles' key components, as well as hybrid cars. The city will also assist self-owned brands in constructing production lines for electric automobiles and speeding up the localization of key technologies. In order to create the best social environment for new energy cars in China, Beijing will also issue preferential policies to encourage the purchase, rental and use of new energy cars.

China introduces plan on groundwater pollution control

China Daily (October 29, 2011)

China has introduced the country's first national plan on groundwater pollution control, urging a combination of legal, economic, technological and administrative measures for groundwater protection. China will invest a total of 34.66 billion yuan ($5.48 billion) on the prevention and treatment of pollution in the country's groundwater in 2011-2020, according to the plan. Under the plan, China will form a general understanding of the country's groundwater pollution situation and preliminarily bring the sources of groundwater pollution under control by 2015. Furthermore, the country aims to fully monitor the typical sources of groundwater pollution and to make the safety of essential underground drinking water sources well protected by 2020.

Mainland to invest up to US$300m in biofuels

South China Morning Post (October 29, 2011)

China's aviation industry is expected to inject as much as US$300 million over the next four years to expand its supply of biofuels. Fuel suppliers, airlines and the Chinese government are expected to share the costs of the project. Air China successfully completed its first two-hour test flight around Beijing using a biofuel partially produced from jatropha seeds. Airlines around the world are scrambling to find cleaner and more sustainable fuels to replace fossil fuels in a bid to fight global warming, as well as stricter emission caps.

China International Forum on Climate Change opens

China Daily (October 31, 2011)

The 2011 China International Forum on Climate Change opened in Beijing on Sunday to discuss ways to balance economic and environmental priorities, develop green industry and construct low-carbon cities. Delegates are expected to suggest new ways to curb greenhouse gas emissions and develop carbon-trading markets in the hope of providing insights for next month's climate talks in Durban, South Africa. China has maintained that countries should bear "common but differentiated responsibilities" in climate change, with developed countries taking most of the responsibility for reducing carbon emissions blamed for global warming. However, Liu Yanhua, a counselor of the State Council and also the former Vice Minister of Science and Technology, said that China in particular needs to speed up upgrading its low-carbon industries with technological innovation.

Companies told: Want gold? Go green

China Daily (October 31, 2011)

The China Sustainability Award, jointly launched by Sohu.com and A.T. Kearney, has given a lot of pressure and guidance for companies to operate in a sustainable way in China. The award aims to evaluate the sustainability performance of companies based in China, to identify and award the best performers in a sustainability context and to identify and share best practices. More and more enterprises have shifted from using "being green" as a publicity means, to actually using it as a guidance to "produce more gold", according to the Sohu.com. Companies now invest more money and human resources on research and development (R&D) and process management to speed up their transformation to "greener" ones.

(CENA prepared by Christina Whang)

* The links and article summaries in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

See our bilingual (English and Chinese) blog dedicated to discussion of China's environmental law, policy and public participation at http://www.greenlaw.org.cn

China Environmental News Alert

2011-10-24T14:37:01Z

Greenlaw from NRDC China, NRDC China Program, Beijing

October 17 - October 24

Meet China’s Eco Cops

Fast Company (October 17, 2011)

To enforce new rules from the government and U.S. companies, a new breed of worker is appearing in China: A consultant who helps factories adhere to standards, without causing outrageous costs. The Environment, Health and Safety Academy in Guangdong province, headed up by Vermont-based Institute for Sustainable Communities, which partnered with Sun Yat-sen University, is training these sustainable minded hall monitors. Their course syllabus is based on the standards in place at Walmart, GE, Adidas, Honeywell and other companies that have supply partners in China. In the two years since the Academy launched, they’ve trained 3,000 factory managers, and officially certified 500. The course is gaining more support from the Chinese government and is on the way to be certified at a local and national level.

How a Smoggy Chinese City Turned Green

The Guardian (October 17, 2011)

Shenyang, China has begun to emerge from its smoggy past, cleaning up its factories and expanding its green spaces. The city, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning province, is long known as the “elder brother” of industry for its central role in Mao’s drive to industrialize China in the 1950s and ‘60s. However, Shenyang emerged as a leader in environmental improvement in the Urban China Initiative’s (UCI) “Urban Sustainability Index,” published last November. According to UCI’s research, virtually all traces of heavy industry had been removed from Shenyang’s core by 2010, coal heating had been replaced by natural gas in new residential areas and urban green space had increased 30 percent from 2005 to 2007.

China Orders Apple Supplier Plant Closure Over Environmental Concerns

The Inquirer (October 17, 2011)

Chinese authorities have ordered an Apple supplier to close part of its plant in Suzhou after residents living nearby raised significant environmental concerns about the foul odors emanating from the plant. The Chinese government has taken a tough stance with the Taiwanese company Catcher Technology, which makes metal casings for some Apple notebook computers. This is not the first environmental concern to hit Apple in recent months. In August a report was released by Chinese environmental groups that accused a number of Apple suppliers of polluting the environment.

Sunpreme Raises $50 Million in VC, to Manufacture in China

Smart Energy News (October 18, 2011)

Sunpreme, a developer of solar cells, has raised $50 million in a round of venture capital, which was led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector investment arm of the World Bank Group. Sunpreme said it will use the new investment funds to construct a manufacturing facility near Shanghai in Jiaxing, China, which will allow it to expand production of its solar cells by the end of this year. According to Sunpreme’s website, “the company’s manufacturing operations, materials sourcing and global sales are to be driven from China, the benchmark in execution efficiency and speed.”

Energy Efficiency Versus Environmental Protection

China Daily (October 19, 2011)

The Bohai Bay oil spill has resulted in calls for changes in the relationship between China and the foreign oil companies that enable the search for resources. Amid the criticism heaped on ConocoPhillips Co. – the United States-based energy conglomerate whose operations spilled more than 700 barrels of oil into the waters of China’s Bohai Bay in June – the nation’s industrial experts are clamoring for a review of the policies for oil and gas exploration with foreign oil companies in China.

China’s Cabinet Studies Proposed Environmental Protection Tax

Bloomberg News (October 20, 2011)

China’s State Council is studying the introduction of an environmental protection tax, and the nation plans to increase environmental spending, including it in the annual budgets of all levels of government. The government will also support bond issues for companies undertaking environmental projects and provide tax breaks, according to an October 17 statement posted on the government’s website after a Cabinet meeting headed by Premier Wen Jiabao.

Beijing Heating Goes Solar

China Daily (October 21, 2011)

Beijing authorities plan to promote a solar water-heating system and a more energy-efficient charging method for central heating for the coming winter to save energy and cut emissions. New residential and public buildings in Beijing should install a central hot water system that uses heat from industrial production or solar panels, according to a draft plan released on Monday by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

China Charges Protectionism in Call for Solar Panel Tariffs

The New York Times (October 21, 2011)

The Chinese government condemned a demand by the American solar panel industry for steep tariffs on solar panels shipped to the United States from China. China accused the American solar industry of protectionism that could undermine the global economy and harm international efforts to combat global warming. It called for the United States government to reject the industry’s legal filing. A coalition of seven American companies filed the trade case against China on October 19, accusing Chinese manufacturers of obtaining billions of dollars in Chinese government subsidies to help them buy market share in the United States, and of dumping solar panels in the United States at prices that did not fully cover the cost of manufacturing and distributing them.

UN Close to Ban on West’s Toxic Waste Exports

The Independent (October 23, 2011)

One of the most persistent and insidious pollution problems visited by the West on the developing world has taken a huge step towards a permanent solution this weekend. A UN environmental conference in Cartagena, Colombia, attended by more than 170 countries, has agreed to accelerate a global ban on the export of hazardous waste, including old electronics and discarded computers and mobile phones, from developed to developing countries. The ban will be introduced when 17 more countries ratify an amendment to the 1989 Basel Convention, a treaty aimed at making nations manage their waste at home.

Tree Planting Gets Underway in Green Drive

China Daily (October 24, 2011)

The Swiss Pharmaceutical maker Novartis International AG has planted the first batch of 12,000 trees in Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, in Southwest China’s Sichuan province. It is part of the third carbon-offset project initiated by Novartis worldwide. A total of 10 million trees are expected to be planted in Sichuan over four years, covering 4,328 hectares of deforested mountains. It is estimated the project will help sequester 1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide over 30 years and has the possibility of registering as a Clean Development Mechanism program under the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change.

(CENA prepared by Craig Spencer)

* The links and article summaries in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

See our bilingual (English and Chinese) blog dedicated to discussion of China's environmental law, policy and public participation at http://www.greenlaw.org.cn

China Environmental News Alert - October 17th

2011-10-18T05:36:43Z

Greenlaw from NRDC China, NRDC China Program, Beijing

Production of Solar Panels in Jiangsu Resumes

Associated Press (October 12th, 2011)

Jinko Solar Holding Co. has restarted manufacturing solar panels after cleaning up toxic waste that killed much of Haining city’s fish in August. The company, which is traded on the New York Stock Exchange, said it has upgraded the factory’s environmental protections and alleged that heavy rain caused fluoride runoff to pollute a local river. Last month, hundreds of protesters demonstrated against the production of photovoltaic cells because of its heavy use of toxic chemicals. Jinko admitted fault, and agreed to halt production until the cleanup finished.

China Begins Testing for Gutter Oil

China Daily (October 14th, 2011)The Chinese government has begun testing for four major indicators of “gutter oil” use in restaurants: cholesterol, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), conductivity, and specific genes. Thus far, the tests do not appear to be able to distinguish between safe and unsafe oil. Popularly known as “gutter oil,” the illegal oil usually comes from gutter behind restaurants, but also includes low-quality oil from pork meat, oil already used several times to fry food, and fat from animal organs. Occasionally consuming gutter oil is believed to cause indigestion, insomnia, and liver discomfort in the short-term, and cancer in the long-term.

China Begins Inspection of Offshore Oil Drilling

Xinhua (October 11th, 2011)

The Chinese government has begun an investigation into the country’s offshore oil drilling and exploration to prevent oil future oil spills. The Ministry of Land and Resources, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the National Energy Administration, among other government agencies, will conduct the three-week inspection. During this period, six inspection teams will check oil drilling and exploration platforms, pipelines, floating production storage and offloading facilities, onshore terminals, docks and transport vessels affiliated with state-owned oil giants CNPC, Sinopec and CNOOC, as well as foreign operators in the Bohai Sea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea. The inspection comes in reaction to a spill caused by Conoco-Phillips that has polluted more than 5,500 square meters of the Bohai Bay since June.

China Shuts 13 Wal-Mart Stores Down, Arrests 2 Employees

USA Today (October 14th, 2011)Thirteen Wal-Mart stores were shut down for two weeks in Chongqing after the retail stores were found to be selling regular pork as higher-priced organic meat. The American chain, which had previously been fined in China for overcharging on other items, has over 300 stores in more than 120 cities in the country. The severe reaction to Wal-Mart’s pork quality is telling of the Chongqing government’s routing out food safety problems. Chongqing’s Communist party secretary, Bo Xilai, has won acclaim for his efforts to clamp down on gangs, prostitution and other organized crime. Many believe the Wal-Mart closure is part of an effort to secure a top party position in Beijing in 2013.

China Slows Wind Power Growth

Wind Power Monthly (October 11th, 2011)

From 2007 to 2010, China’s wind power capacity increased by more than 100% annually; however in 2010, the country only increased its wind power capacity by 38%, representing a slowdown in growth. The slowdown in growth comes as the National Energy Bureau (NEB) has increased the standards for technology and access to the wind power grid. Additionally, wind projects with less than 50MW now must seek the approval of the NEB, as opposed to local government, which was the previous norm. Nonetheless, by 2015, China is expected to have 90 GW of installed capacity, in comparison to 45 GW in 2010.

China’s Oil Demand Growth Continues

Reuters (October 12th, 2011)

Oil demand growth in China will contribute to more than half of the world’s incremental demand for 2011. The major driver of oil demand growth is the country’s increasing vehicle fleet. Although demand growth will be lower than 2010’s 6% growth rate, China’s demand is expected to keep global oil prices higher than $94 a barrel. Energy analysts expect certain eastern provinces, such as Zhejiang and Shanghai, to experience brownouts and blackouts similar to 2004, when demand outstripped capacity. However, unlike in 2004, natural gas is expected to be able to meet the gap between demand and capacity.

China Expected to Boost Electric Vehicle Fleet by 2020

China Dialogue (October 11, 2011)

The business consultancy group Solidiance expects that electric vehicles will compose between 5% and 10% of China’s automobile fleet by 2020. Given that an expected 40 million vehicles will be on the road, this suggests that there will be 2 million to 4 million electric vehicles on the road then. Some analysts, including Chinese manufacturer Geely, wonder if a 5% electric vehicle penetration is possible given the lack of infrastructure in place for electric vehicles. However, a recent report published by Ernst and Young suggests that the Chinese market is very open to the possibility of electric vehicles, as 60% of Chinese consumers were open to the possibility of purchasing an electric vehicle. This figure was much higher than the next highest region, the European Union, where only 22% of consumers were willing to purchase electric vehicles.

Electric Vehicles Not Expected to Contribute to CO2 Emission Reductions in China

The New York Times (October 10th, 2011)

China’s anticipated one million electric cars by 2015 are not expected to lead to major reductions in carbon dioxide emissions without a simultaneous shift away from coal use, according to a UN expert. Eighty per cent of China’s electricity comes from coal, which has high carbon emissions. Four out of the seven electric grid regions in China would lead to increased CO2 emissions if electric vehicles were used in place of conventional vehicles. Nonetheless, electric vehicles will reduce oil imports and smog in Chinese cities. To truly reduce CO2 emissions, China must simultaneously adopt electric vehicles and shift to low-carbon energy sources, such as wind and solar.

China Pursues Nuclear Energy in Spite of Fukushima

The New York Times (October 10th, 2011)

Despite other countries, including Germany and Switzerland, voting to phase out nuclear energy because of concerns about nuclear safety in the wake of the earthquake in Japan, China is forging ahead with its plan to expand nuclear energy. In the coming years, the Asian country plans to build more nuclear plants than the rest of the world combined. The increase in the number of plants will help the government accomplish its goal of boosting nuclear capacity from 10.6 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power in 2010 to 50GW in 2015. China currently derives only 1% of its energy from nuclear power. Brazil and India also plan to continue to build nuclear plants.

Malaysia to Develop Industrial Park and Green Technology in Guangxi Province

Borneo Post (October 16th, 2011)

Malaysia and China plan to develop an industrial park in Naning, China that focuses on sustainable development and low carbon lifestyles. The 6,000 acre mixed-use industrial park is expected to cost up to 300 billion RMB and take 20 years to complete. Water recycling will be a major component of the project, as the project’s managers expect to recycle wastewater for certain daily uses.

(CENA prepared by Christopher Page)

* The links and article summaries in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

See our bilingual (English and Chinese) blog dedicated to discussion of China's environmental law, policy and public participation at http://www.greenlaw.org.cn

China Environmental News Alert

2011-10-10T12:13:46Z

Greenlaw from NRDC China, NRDC China Program, Beijing

October 1, 2011 – October 10, 2011

China activist defies officials in fight to save lake

AFP (October 1, 2011)

Prominent environmental activist Wu Lihong continues fighting to clean up Taihu Lake, which lies on the border of the eastern provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu in one of China's richest regions. It is still a source of drinking water for the heavily populated area despite heavy toxic waste contamination from surrounding factories and farms. In its 2010 annual report on the country's water quality, China's environmental protection ministry gave Taihu Lake its lowest rating, which means that it cannot even be used for agriculture or landscaping, according to a World Bank report. The government has made efforts to clean up the lake, releasing millions of algae-eating fish into the water and recently ordering the closure of nearby sewerage discharge facilities and garbage dumps beginning on November 1st.

Plan to tighten air quality standards

China Daily (October 4, 2011)

The environmental authorities are proposing to strengthen the standards on air quality, which could lessen the number of official blue-sky days for many cities. The new standards on air quality will include regulations on the monitoring and publication of particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5), which are not currently included in determining the air pollution index (API). Major cities like Beijing, Nanjing and Guangzhou will face more serious air pollution ratings if PM2.5 is included in the API.

Apple wakes up to Chinese pollution concerns

Guardian (October 4, 2011)

China's environmental NGOs have been working with their US counterparts to ramp up the pressure on Apple, who they accuse of secrecy and poor supplier management. On September 13, NRDC president Frances Beinecke wrote to new Apple chief executive Tim Cook, prompting Apple to contact both the IPE and the NRDC to arrange meetings. According to "Apple's Supplier Responsibility 2011 Progress Report", many suppliers were found to be in severe breach of environmental laws – 80 of 127 factories had not properly stored or handled hazardous chemicals; 41 did not recycle or dispose of hazardous waste properly or as required by law; 37 did not monitor and control air emissions, and more than 10 had wastewater problems; 63 did not have the permits required by government authorities, including approval of their environmental impact assessments.

Chinese company steps up pressure on Myanmar over suspended dam project

Associated Press (October 4, 2011)

China Power Investment Corp. has stepped up pressure on Myanmar after it surprisingly suspended construction of a jointly backed but much criticized hydroelectric dam, saying scrapping the project would cause legal problems. Environmental activists have said the dam would displace countless villagers and upset the ecology of one of the Myanmar’s most vital national resources, the Irrawaddy River. The dam has also come under criticism because it was supposed to export about 90 percent of electricity it generated to China, while the vast majority of Myanmar’s residents have no electricity. The suspension was praised by many, including democracy advocates in Myanmar and the U.S. government.

From black coal to green power

Xinhua (October 5, 2011)

Coal accounts for about 70 percent of China's energy mix, 30 percentage points higher than the world average. Such heavy reliance on coal to boost the economy has led to serious pollution and ecological damage, severely hampering China's sustainable development. As a way out, China has resolved to develop non-fossil renewable energies over the next five years. China plans to increase consumption of non-fossil energies by 210 million tonnes of coal equivalent during the 2011-2015 period. This will make the total non-fossil energy consumption reach 470 million tonnes of coal equivalent by 2015, 11.5 percent of the total energy consumption in China. The target includes, of coal equivalent, 280 million tonnes hydropower, 90 million tonnes nuclear power, and 100 million tonnes of other renewable energies, such as wind power, solar power, and biomass energy.

Shanghai Closes Plants Using Lead

Wall Street Journal (October 5, 2011)

Shanghai environmental-protection authorities said a battery factory operated by U.S.-based Johnson Controls Inc. that they ordered to suspend operations last month will remain closed through the end of the year, along with 14 more plants that also use lead. The moves suggest the city is rethinking the balance between economic growth and safety after a series of lead-poisoning scandals around the country.

Sheep business faces dilemma of eco conservation

Xinhua (October 6, 2011)

In Hebei province, sheep farming has been targeted by government authorities who are seeking to stop desertification and conserve water resources. Authorities have put a stop to many sheep farming operations in order to preserve the environment and prevent desert sands from creeping south toward Beijing, located just 200 km south of Chicheng. The ban has significantly affected the incomes and livelihoods of local people.

China set to exceed carbon emission forecasts, figures show

Guardian (October 6, 2011)

China is on course to exceed forecasts for greenhouse gas emissions because its economy is growing faster than expected and becoming "locked in" to carbon-intensive activities, two studies warn this week. Climate Action Tracker praised China for a "major effort" to meet and possibly surpass its pledge to reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by 40-45% by 2020. But they said the gains were being outweighed by a faster-than-expected surge of the country's economy. By 2020, they predicted the net outcome of this "China emissions paradox" would be one gigatonne (GT) more carbon dioxide per year than the researchers' previous estimate of 12.5GT.

Mining Harms Environment in 2008 Sichuan Earthquake Zone

(October 6, 2011)

Near the epicenter of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, mining and factory waste is destabilizing the Longmen Shan region. According to geology expert Yang Yong, who spent two weeks carrying out a survey of the region in August, raw minerals and ores for factories near Deyang City and Mianyang Prefecture are all coming from open mines in the Longmen Shan region. Longmen Shan serves as a water source for the Chengdu plain and that water is becoming polluted due to mining in the region.

Environmental rule set to shift

China Daily (October 10, 2011)

Local governments at all levels are expected to face stronger obligations to protect the environment, and polluters will face much heavier fines, according to a draft proposal to amend China's decades-old Environmental Protection Law. One highlight of the draft is a proposal to strengthen local governments' legal responsibilities in environmental protection. The draft proposal also pushes for greater transparency on pollution information from both government and enterprises. Public interest litigation, which allows individuals, NGOs and government bodies to sue polluters on behalf of the public, will be, for the first time, endorsed by law if the draft proposal is approved by the legislature.

(CENA prepared by Christina Whang)

* The links and article summaries in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

See our bilingual (English and Chinese) blog dedicated to discussion of China's environmental law, policy and public participation at http://www.greenlaw.org.cn

China Environmental News Alert

2011-09-26T13:31:17Z

Greenlaw from NRDC China, NRDC China Program, Beijing

September 17, 2011 – September 25, 2011

Led by Demand in China, Energy Use Is Expected to Rise 53% by 2035

Bloomberg News (September 19, 2011)

Global energy demand will increase 53 percent from 2008 through 2035, with China and India accounting for half of the growth, the United States Department of Energy said on September 19. China and India will consume 31 percent of the world’s energy by 2035, up from 21 percent in 2008, the Department’s International Energy Outlook projected. According to the report, Chinese energy demand will exceed that of the United States by 68 percent in 2035.

China Closes Solar-Panel Plant After Protests

Los Angeles Times (September 20, 2011)

Authorities ordered a solar-panel manufacturing plant in Eastern China to close after four days of protests by hundreds of villagers who have accused the facility of causing air and water pollution, Chinese media reported. As many as 500 villagers participated in the protests near Haining, an industrial city of 640,000 in coastal Zhejiang Province. The plant’s operator, JinkoSolar, a NYSE-listed company, issued a public apology on September 19. The decision to close the plant is an indication of the growing power of environmental protestors to sway government policy in China.

ConocoPhillips Plans Fund for Environment in China’s Bohai Bay As Oil Spill Cleanup Drags On

Washington Post (September 20, 2011)

ConocoPhillips plans a new fund to address environmental problems in China’s Bohai Bay, following harsh criticism from marine authorities and environmentalists over oil spills in the heavily polluted sea. The announcement of the fund did not include any details regarding its size or specific uses. Small seeps from the spills are continuing, according to a September 19 report on the State Oceanic Administration’s website.

PepsiCo to Promote Sustainable Farming in China

Just-Food (September 20, 2011)

PepsiCo has partnered with China’s Ministry of Agriculture to help farmers adopt sustainable farming practices. In a bid to accelerate agricultural development in rural China, PepsiCo announced plans on September 19 to help farmers implement water- and energy-saving technologies, and other advanced techniques to raise crop yields and increase income. As part of the joint initiative, PepsiCo and the Ministry will build and operate demonstration farms with advanced irrigation, fertilization and crop management techniques. In May of 2010, PepsiCo announced that it was investing $2.5 billion in its China business over the next few years.

Emission Rules Get Tougher

China Daily (September 22, 2011)

Thermal power plants will soon operate under tighter emission controls, with mercury output monitored for the first time, under new standards released on September 21 to tackle worsening pollution. The rules, to take effect on Jan. 1, 2012, place tougher restrictions on pollutants including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and soot, major contributors to acid rain. For the first time, mercury discharged from coal burning will be under intense scrutiny. About 260 billion yuan ($40.7 billion) needs to be invested on upgrading industrial facilities to meet the standards, the Ministry of Environmental Protection predicted.

Heated Opposition Feared for City’s Incinerator Plan

China Daily (September 22, 2011)

Lu Ruifeng, the Executive Deputy Mayor of Shenzhen, China, said the city plans to build the world’s largest garbage incinerator, with a designed capacity to handle more than 5,000 tons of garbage a day. However, the government is having trouble finding a location for the construction of the massive structure. Insiders said the city government worried the project could meet opposition from people living near any chosen location. In Guangzhou, about 60 miles from Shenzhen, the city government had to postpone construction of a similar project because of residents’ strong opposition. Lu said that Shenzhen would treat its waste mainly through burning in the future.

China to Reevaluate, Revise Environmental Quality Standards in Next Five Years

Xinhua (September 23, 2011)

China will reevaluate and revise a series of environmental quality standards, including those for air, water, soil and noise, in the next five years, to improve the country’s environmental quality. Zhou Jian, the Vice Minister of Environmental Protection, made the remarks on September 22 at the seventh China International Forum on Environment and Development. On the same day, China’s Minister of Science and Technology, Wan Gang, said that China is willing to make joint efforts with other countries in developing the technology of carbon capture, utilization and storage. Wan made the remarks at the fourth ministerial meeting of the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF).

Co2 Emissions Soared 45 Percent From 1990 to 2010 Report Says

Reuters (September 23, 2011)

Global carbon dioxide emissions increased by 45 percent between 1990 and 2010, reaching a record high 33 billion tons last year, according to a report by the European Commission’s Joint Research Center. The report said that increased energy efficiency, renewable energy, and nuclear power are not compensating for a surge in emissions from developing countries, most notably China – with a 257 percent increase in Co2 emissions from 1990 to 2010. After a slowdown in Co2 emissions at the height of the recession in 2008 and 2009, global emissions saw a record-breaking increase of 5.8 percent from 2009 to 2010, the report said.

Nuclear to Remain in Energy Mix

China Daily (September 23, 2011)

Nuclear power will remain a component of China’s energy mix to help the country reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with safety as a precondition, China’s top climate change officials said on Sept. 22. However, as the world’s largest coal consumer, China’s energy consumption structure cannot be easily changed. Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS), a low-carbon technology, can play a critical role in carbon emission reduction, said Xie Zhenhua, Vice-Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission. Coal remains the primary source of energy in China, which gets more than 70 percent of its electricity from the fuel.

China to Boost Green Investment

China Daily (September 25, 2011)

The Chinese government will invest 2 trillion yuan ($313 billion) in the areas of green economy and low-carbon development in the next five years, cutting 16 percent of per-unit GDP energy consumption compared to 2010, a senior official from China’s top economic planner said on Saturday. China will use methods such as circular economy projects, establishing 100 demonstration bases for comprehensive resource utilization and launching low-carbon pilot programs in five provinces and eight cities, said Xie Zhenhua, Vice-Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission.

(CENA prepared by Craig Spencer)

* The links and article summaries in this post are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

See our bilingual (English and Chinese) blog dedicated to discussion of China's environmental law, policy and public participation at http://www.greenlaw.org.cn