The Second Meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) was held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province between May 3rd to May 5th, 1993. Present at the meeting were: 38 members (22 Chinese members and 16 international members), 12 specially invited guests (10 Chinese and 2 international), 18 observers (9 Chinese and 9 international) and 5 international cochairmen of the Expert Working Groups.
1. General Situation
The Opening and Closing Ceremonies wren presided over by Dr. Song Jian, Chairman of the Council. The sessions of the meeting were chaired respectively by Vice-Chairmen Prof. Qu Geping, Dr. Massé and Mr. Gu Ming. At the beginning of the first session, Mr. Xie Zhenhua, Secretary General of the Secretariat personated report on the work of the Secretariat during the time when the Council is not in session, and on the establishment and work progress of the Expert Working Groups. The Council listened to and reviewed the interim reports of the 6 Expert Working Groups, i.e. Working Group on Energy and Technologies, Working Group on Scientific Research, Technological Development and Training, Working Group on Pollution Control, Monitoring and Data Collection, Working Group on Pollution Control, Monitoring and Data Collection, working Group on Resource Accounting, Environmental Economics and Pricing Policies and Working Group on the Protection of Biodiversity; listened to and held discussions on the presentations made by the National Environmental Protection Agency, State Science and Technology Commission, State Planning Commission, State Meteorological Administration and Ministry of Forestry on China's follow-up activities after UNCED; and studied such substantive issues as INTEGRA TION OF ECONOMIC PLANING AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION IN CHINA, THE COST OF WAT ER POLLUTION TO THE CHINESE ECONOMY, CONTROL OF EDSERTIFICATION and THE IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTALLY-RELATEDHEALTH COSTS ON THE CHINESE ECONOMY, etc.. Mr. Watanabe, for mer minister of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Japan also made a speech on the history and present situation of the integration between environment and development in Japan. The Council, finally, reviewed and approved the Financial Report of the Council and recommendations from the Council to the Chinese Government.
A sincere and enthusiastic atmosphere prevailed in the meeting
The Council expressed satisfaction over the work of the 6 Working Groups and reached the consensus that the Working Groups gathered, within such a short period of just one year, a group of first class scientists and scholars both from China and abroad, and that, in keeping with the principle of "starting the job while establishing the Working Groups", the Working Groups managed a timely exchange of in formation, carried out on-the-spot investigation, collected a vast amount of data, and conducted a great deal of research and analysis. In their research, the groups combined the theory and methods of sustainable development with the actual situation in China and, on the basis of indepth study and explorations certain key is sues, put forward a lot of valuable suggestions and recommendations. As a result, the Working Groups were able to submit their interim reports to the Council, thus making great contributions to the success of the Council meeting. This has marked the substantive progress and initial achievements of the Council.
The Council spoke highly of the active measures adopted by the Chinese Government after UNECED to implement the relevant international conventions. The Council held that the fact that the Chinese Government, shortly after UNCED, formulated a 10-point strategy as an active guideline for its environment and development fully demonstrates the earnest attitude the Chinese Government has attached to environment and development and also the efforts it has made to effectively solve environmental problems. After it signed the CONVENTION ON BIODIVERSITY and the UN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE, the Chinese Government lost no time in map ping out action programs to implement the conventions and action plans to carry out AGENDA 21 and the NON-LEGALLY BINDING AUTHORITATIVE STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES FOR A GLOBAL CONSENSUS ON THE MANAGEMENT, CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMEN T OF ALL TYPES OF FORESTS, and in making sure that these action programs and plans be translated into reality. This, again, shows the Chinese Government's serious are responsible attitude towards the solution of global environmental problems and its active participation in international cooperation on environment issues.
These action programs and plans are systematic and comprehensive. The Council expressed the hope that the Chinese government will concentrate its efforts on their implementation.
In view of the new situation in which China is transforming itself to a market economic system and its economy is growing rapidly, the Council pointed out that, since environment and development are connected without other in modernization process, the Chinese Government should be fully aware of the importance of environ mental protection, should draw lessons from the historical mistakes of the industrialized countries and, meanwhile, learn from their successful experience, and should, from the very beginning, include environmental factors in the decision-making concerning economic and social issues, in order to create a sustainable pattern of economic development. The Council, based on the interim reports of the Expert Working Groups and its discussion is on substantive issues, made 7 recommendations t o the Chinese Government.
The Council held that the establishment of Cicada is an initiative of international cooperation in the field of environment and development, which provides the world with a new model of extensive significance and a new instrument to help turn decision-making more scientific and democratic. The Council has been and will continue to be an important bridge and link between China and other countries in terms of environment and development. The Council requires that the 6 Expert Working Groups should, on the basis of the theoretical and practical achievements of environment and development both in and outside China, focus on policy studies, and, by way of thorough investigation and research, learn from the experience of and draw lessons from other countries so that some substantive work reports will be produced on policies which China should make for sustainable development and be submitted to the Third Meeting of the Council agreed to start two specific research projects, namely "PRACTICAL MEASURES FOR INTEGRATION OF ECONOMIC PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION IN CHINA "and "THE COST OF WATER POLLUTION TO THE CHINESE ECONOMY".
As regards the composition of the Council, the Council believed that some appropriate adjustments should be made in accordance with the changed situation. The Council entrusted the Secretariat to solicit opinions from the members and work out a readjustment plan which will then be submitted to the Bureau for approval.
It is agreed that the Third Meeting of the Council will be held in Beijing in September, 1994.
On May 7,1993,Mr.Jiang Zemin, President of the People's Republic of China met with the international representatives and made an important speech, in which be emphasized the great significance of the Council, pointed out that the improvement of the environment is China will be great contributions to the global environment in China will be great contributions to the global environment and expressed the cooperation between China and the international community on environmental issues.
2.Recommendations to the Chinese Government
The Second Meeting of the Council has made recommendations on China's priority areas and concrete actions for the realization of sustainable development. They are as follows:
a) Energy is critical to environment. At present heavy dependence on coal is a prime cause of pollution and contributes to global as well as local climate. It is, therefore, necessary to promote energy efficiency (in domestic and industrial use), energy conservation, clean coal technologies, and the development and production of alternative renewable sources of energy.
b) China is rich in biodiversity .Its continued destruction could do enormous damage to the sustainable development of economy and society by depriving China of its potentialities for future food, medicine and other raw materials, It is, there fore, necessary to strengthen the construction and management of the system of terrestrial and equatic protected areas; enlist the indispensable support of the local communities and restore, step by step, the degraded habitats to ecological productivity; cooperate with neighbouring countries to work out regional agreements on the prevention of trade in endangered species, and to convene a regional conference on the issue.
c) To provide enough food is a vital issue for China, since it has a population of 1.2 billion. China should give its highest attention to agricultural growth, especially to proper land use planning, water use planning and ecological agriculture, China has, in this connection, accumulated much valuable experience, which should be emphasized for further practice and popularization.
d) Correct valuation and pricing of resources in the key to a sustainable economy .It is necessary to develop and social costs; remove subsidies inappropriate for environment; improve the present National Economic Accounting System by incorporating environmental costs into it; and develop and use economic and fiscal instruments for environmental management and pollution control, paying special attention to the role of banks in order to support the environmental protection undertakings by way of loans and interest.
e) Nothing is possible without public understanding and participation. It is necessary to disseminate environmental information to the public through the media; carry out environmental education at various levels, paying special attention to youth and women; establish mechanisms which will guarantee public participation; consider public opinions and wishes; and encourage the public to exercise supervision on behaviour that causes damage to the environment.
f) It is necessary to intensify environmental law enforcement and allocate adequate funds to support the implementation of environmental laws, standards and regulations.
g) As an important member of the international community, China should play an active role in international efforts to cope with global environmental problems. For example, China should make efforts to reduce atmospheric carbon emissions which are related to international efforts.