Governor Schwarzenegger is sending his top environmental official to Beijing, China to participate in a number of events to support China’s efforts to address climate change. This blog is an account of the trip’s events, meetings and tours with senior officials in Beijing.
Itinerary
Day 1: Meetings with officials
Day 2: Low Carbon Conference
Day 3: Low Carbon Conference
Day 4: CDM site tour of a cement plan
Day 5: Green Business Conference
Day5
Secretary Adams gives a keynote address to an audience of more than
300 of China's most successful corporate leaders at the inaugural
Summit of Green Companies in China.
Secretary Adams signs a first-of-its-kind climate agreement with
UNDP, alongside Khalid Malik, UN Resident Coordinator in China.
Secretary Adams presents a gift to China's top environmental
government official.
Secretary Adams meets with senior officials at Jidong Cement.
Jidong Cement plant is installing waste heat recovery system on an existing
site. This project alone will save about 2 million tons of greenhouse gas
emissions by 2012.
The waste heat recovery technology is expected to result in more
than two-thirds energy savings.
Dirty industrial plants cover the landscape outside of Beijing. Tangshan is
considered northern China's hub of steel, iron and cement production.
About 60 percent of the world's construction is happening here in China,
gobbling up more than half of the world's cement.
Secretary Adams speaks with a Chinese journalist on what California has done to
improve air quality.
Secretary Adams is joined by officials from the Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation.
Already considered to be one of the world’s most congested cities, China’s demand for fuel is expected to increase 50% by 2030.
Secretary Adams represented California at the Low Carbon Fuels Conference.
Day 1
This photo taken from the 24th floor shows what locals consider
to be moderately good air quality.
From left: Margret Kim, CalEPA’s China Program Director and Linda Adams,
Cal/EPA’s Secretary meet with Dr. Fuqiang Yang, Director of The Energy
Foundation’s Beijing office and David Moskovitz, Director of The
Regulatory Assistance Project.
Beijing is bustling with development. Here the new CCTV tower
barely can be seen through the haze.
China Trip Blog: April 17-April 22, 2008
Adam's Blog - Day 5: Earth Day in Beijing
Today is an historic day for the global fight against climate change. On Earth Day, in one of the fastest growing economies in the world, I had the honor to sign a climate agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
As part of the UNDP's ongoing work with the Chinese government, California has been asked to provide a climate program model to Chinese provincial governments.
I'm honored that California was asked to support China's efforts to address climate change, and look forward to working with our new partners in China. And it couldn't come at a better time.
China now rivals the U.S. as the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Through the expertise of the Air Resources Board, along with other Cal/EPA staff and departments, California will help provide special technical training, support clean technology sharing and help build supportive public and private partnerships.
My main message today was that environmental protection is good for the economy. Both go hand in hand. China doesn't have to trade economic growth for a clean environment.
I think our visit, and the agreement signed today, will help show China that they can move forward on environmental protection and maintain a strong economy like California has done.
This visit to China has begun a great partnership and I look forward to the environmental goals that we can accomplish together.
This is the final blog from my trip to China. I'm so glad that you have taken this important journey with me.
Day 5: Photos
Adams Blog - Day 4: Tour of CDM Project
Today we toured a clean development mechanism (CDM) project in Tangshan, north of Beijing. The CDM is an arrangement under the Kyoto Protocol allowing industrialized countries with a greenhouse gas reduction commitment to invest in projects that reduce emissions in developing countries.
Many of these projects are helping install carbon-reducing technology that would not have been used otherwise. These CDM projects have accelerated the installation of clean technologies that already are being used around the world.
The project we toured today is a cement plant that, when completely installed, will employ an energy-saving technology called waste heat recovery. California cement plants already use this technology, but the CDM speeds up investment in growing countries like China.
By 2012, the project will result in nearly 2 million tons of greenhouse gas savings from this one project. The savings will come from displaced power from coal. By saving more than two-thirds of the energy through this new process, less coal power is needed to fire the cement plant.
I learned that Jidong Cement, one of the largest employers in Northern China, produces more than 5,000 tons of cement every day. This plant, with the new clean technology, now reaches the highest environmental standard in China.
You might be surprised to know that about 60 percent of the world's construction is happening right here in China. On every street corner there is construction going on, providing millions of jobs to migrant workers and using up about 50 percent of the world's cement supply. In fact, China exports less than 5 percent of its cement because there is such a large demand domestically.
As California develops its climate change program as required under the state's global warming law, officials will be considering whether or not to include the use of offsets like those purchased through CDMs by countries that have signed on to the Kyoto Protocol.
On this eve of Earth Day, I'm honored to be here in China to support its efforts to address climate change. Tomorrow on Earth Day I will sign an agreement with the United Nations to act as a climate program model for Chinese provinces.
Adams Blog - Day 3: Low Carbon Conference
Today’s workshop topic focused on a provocative question: who owns the world’s carbon? More specifically, who’s responsible for China’s carbon? If Californian’s purchase goods made in China or other countries, should we be held responsible for the emissions produced from manufacturing those goods.
According to today’s panelists, about a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from trade and exported goods. I learned that more than half of the products manufactured here in China are exported to foreign countries – the United States receives about 21 percent of those goods. Since manufacturing in China represents about 68 percent of overall greenhouse gas emissions, should the world be responsible for helping China reduce emissions?
There is no simple answer to this question. And this isn’t just an issue for China. Many countries’ exported goods, including ours, contribute to greenhouse gases. But trade also helps boost our economy. As the world continues to negotiate a post-2012 climate agreement, it’s important that we consider these issues to help reduce the shift of emissions from one location to another.
Greenhouse gas emissions are unlike other pollutants that collect locally. Greenhouse gas reductions from China are just as significant as reductions in California. Tomorrow we will tour a project, called a clean development mechanism, or CDM. The CDM is an arrangement under the Kyoto Protocol allowing industrialized countries with a greenhouse gas reduction commitment to invest in projects that reduce emissions in developing countries.
Adams Blog - Day 2: Low Carbon Fuels Conference
The first day of the Low Carbon Fuels Conference has been focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, and specifically from transportation fuels. The conference speakers addressed the progress made to promote a California-like low carbon fuels standard here in China.
One of the officials from the Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation (iCET), the organizer of the event, explained that “California has set a good example of what to do in China.” Along with our partners in the United Kingdom and the European Union, we are able to provide our Chinese colleagues with valuable information on developing a low carbon fuel standard here in China.
I was greatly encouraged by today’s discussion of low carbon policies that are being considered here in China. As one of the world’s largest fuel users, expected to surpass the U.S. by 2010, it’s imperative that the global community take aggressive action to generate new, cleaner transportation fuels – reducing our dependence on oil, diversifying our fuel options and creating a new market for low carbon fuels.
California is currently in the process of drafting the regulations for our low carbon fuel standard. Like our partners in the United Kingdom and the European Union, we are working on solutions to the challenges posed by land use. Sustainability is key. We do not want a standard for low carbon fuel to create a perverse incentive for destroying existing food crops or other natural resources.
There is much to consider, but I’m encouraged by the broad international collaboration in the global fight against climate change. Tomorrow is day two of the conference where we will focus on the broad issues of addressing climate change.
Adams Blog - Day 1: Meetings with officials
I arrived in Beijing to hazy skies – the sun actually darkened by dirty air. But I was told that today the air is actually considered moderately good.
Today we met with two of China’s non-government organizations: The Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) and The Energy Foundation. Both are supporting China’s efforts to improve environmental protection and develop cleaner energy policies.
The RAP has been working in China for nine years, promoting policies that actually were developed by California. In fact, our hosts called California a “leader” on environmental issues, mentioning green buildings, renewable energy and transportation as successful program areas that can be copied here in China to both support the economy and promote a cleaner environment.
I was encouraged to learn that RAP is working with China’s energy regulators to develop long-term strategies to promote cleaner energy. In addition, regulators are looking at ways to expand the country’s largest energy resource – efficiency and conservation.
In addition to assisting China with cleaner energy policies, The Energy Foundation is working with officials to promote general environmental management – to integrate environmentally-friendly policies into everyday operations and governance in China.
Today’s meetings were a good introduction to the issues we intend to cover here in Beijing. Tomorrow, I’m thrilled to co-host the 2nd Annual Low Carbon Fuels Conference to discuss the progress to develop a low carbon fuels standard here in China – fashioned after Governor Schwarzenegger’s low carbon fuel standard.
California Environmental Protection Agency, http://www.calepa.ca.gov/
General Public Contact, cepacomm@calepa.ca.gov (916) 323-2514