Transcript 2.David Lusher (Vice Consul-General)

Challenges and Opportunities Climate Change and Energy work
in Guangdong
David Lusher
Deputy Consul General
BCG Guangzhou
Britcham Climate Change Event,
10th July 2008, Guangzhou
Overview
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Policy context set by UK government
UK-China collaboration at national level
BCG Guangzhou objectives
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How can we deliver our objectives
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Challenges vs. Opportunities in Guangdong
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Projects we’ve completed
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Projects we hope to deliver
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Project proposals we would like to explore
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Our new Climate Change & Energy Section
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Policy context
IPCC 4th report
“Climate change is happening, it is very likely caused by human
activities, and addressing climate change is an urgent task.”
Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s statement
“The climate change crisis is the product of many generations, but
overcoming it must be the great project of this generation. And it
will involve not just Europe and America but the entire community
of nations”.
Stern Review
“The economic cost of doing nothing to tackle climate change could
be as much as 20% of a country's GDP.”
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Policy context
Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s strategy in China
Support China in achieving energy efficiency objectives and
in exploring the opportunities for an even greater
acceleration to a low carbon economy:
•Post 2012 framework
•Carbon capture and storage
•Economics of climate change
•EU-China trade and investment framework
•Impacts and adaptation
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UK-China collaboration at national level
• MoUs to establish UK-China Climate Change Working
Group and UK-China Energy Group
(The MoU on UK-China Climate Change Working Group can be found at
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/internat/devcountry/pdf/c
hina-memorandum.pdf)
• Joint Agreement on Science and Technology
• Joint Declaration on Climate Change
• UK-China business collaboration (UKTI)
(Details of UKTIˇs work in China are at www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk)
• Department for International Development work on
adaptation and on a shift to low carbon
(Details of DFID’s work in China are at www.dfid.gov.uk)
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BCG Guangzhou objectives
UK government's climate
change strategy in China
Contribute to Guangdong’s ambition
to
lead
China’s
reform
and
development through exploiting the
advantages that a high growth low
carbon economy can bring.
Guangdong’s interests
Party Secretary Mr. Wang
Yang’s ambition
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How can we do this?
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Raising awareness about Climate Change: spreading the word to a
range of audiences in Guangdong (e.g. officials, academics, students,
business people)
Underpin scientific evidence: Use latest science to demonstrate
climate change impacts
Identify barriers to progress: Work with local partners to identify
barriers to implementing a low carbon economy
Technology transfer: low-carbon renewable and energy-efficient
technologies, Carbon Capture and Storage - working with UKTI
Influencing local industries: Undertake capacity building activities
and projects for local industry to help them understanding the climate
security issues and de-carbonising the supply chain.
Government lobbying: Work with provincial government to move
towards a low carbon high growth economy - to place Guangdong in a
strong position to lead China’s reform and development.
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Challenges in Guangdong
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No provincial-level programme or action plan for
climate change yet.
Level of awareness of climate change and the impact
it will have on the region is generally low.
Carbon Capture and Storage not yet regarded by
local government as important technology to tackle
climate change.
Emission reduction is regarded as cutting SO2
emissions not CO2 emissions.
Provincial/sectoral CO2 reduction targets likely to
require national-level approval. No indication that
Guangdong is willing or able to set targets at
present
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Opportunities in Guangdong
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China’s largest provincial consumer of energy.
Serious about energy efficiency target (16%) and diversifying its
energy mix.
Climate change awareness has increased.
The media understand the issues and want to write about climate
change.
Strong academic base for Carbon Capture and Storage, marine
climate modelling, geological aspects of climate change, energy
efficiency and renewable energy.
Provincial Government supports Clean Development Mechanism
projects.
Scope for basic advocacy and capacity building on energy
efficiency, carbon capture and storage, as well as CDM.
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is an arrangement under the Kyoto Protocol allowing industrialised
countries with a greenhouse gas reduction commitment (called Annex 1 countries) to invest in projects that reduce
emissions in developing countries as an alternative to more expensive emission reductions in their own countries.
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Projects completed in 2007
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Sending a delegation from Guangdong’s Development &
Reform Commission (DRC) to an international climate
change conference in Hong Kong (May 2007)
Sending a delegation from Guangdong’s DRC to a
Wilton Park Conference on Climate Security & Energy
(July 2007)
MBA training for senior government officials in Guangxi
(November 2007)
Climate Change Film Day (December 2007)
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Projects completed in 2008
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Organised a China Institute of Reform & Development
seminar on climate change adaptation (January 2008)
Raising awareness about climate change and CDM in the
financial sector (January 2008)
Climate change documentary seminar in Shenzhen &
Guangzhou (March 2008)
International Energy Agency roadshow on World Energy
Outlook (March 2008)
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Projects we hope to deliver
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Series of film events with local Universities, Science
associations and research institutes (April 2008 March 2009)
Series of courses to train executives to manage
carbon in the supply chain (June - October 2008)
Industrial design competition on low carbon
products (November 2008)
City-to city seminar between Guangzhou and
Birmingham on low carbon development (January
2009)
Feasibility study for Zhuhai to apply to be the first
Low Carbon Economic Zone in China (tbc)
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Project proposals we would really
like to explore
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Awareness raising activities - to improve general
knowledge about climate change and its economic
impacts.
Strengthening the evidence base which supports
climate change and energy efficiency decision making.
Capacity building activities within Government and
industry. Mobilising political and academic support to
promote strong and early action on climate change and
energy efficiency.
Any other projects that will deliver long-term impacts and
stimulate real change.
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Funds we manage which support
climate change projects:
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Strategic Program Fund (SPF)
(http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-thefco/what-we-do/funding-programmes/stratprogr-fund/)
Climate Change Public Diplomacy Pilot
Programme (PD Pilot)
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Our new Climate Change & Energy
Section
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A dynamic new team - 2 from UK and 4 locally
employed officers
Part of the FCO’s Climate Change China Network
established in 2007
Will work closely with our UKTI, Science & Innovation,
and Public Diplomacy sections
Will also work closely with local government, institutes,
NGOs and business
Covers Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Hainan and Hunan
with a focus on Guangdong in the first three years
Contact: Adee Zai, Climate Change Project Officer
Tel: 020-83143030 or [email protected]
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Thank you for
listening!
Any questions?
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