Brussels, 19/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - China and the EU are both believers in green growth and partners in pursuing this objective, and have resolved to step up their cooperation jointly to respond to environmental challenges of the planet, according to the joint declaration published on Friday 19 July by the EU and China following the latest session of their political dialogue in this area.
The agreement between the two parties officially to launch the EU-China programme for sustainable development is one of the major steps forward of the fourth meeting of this kind, which took place in Beijing on Friday between Zhou Shengxian, Chinese Minister for the Protection of the Environment, and Janez Potocnik, European Commissioner for the Environment. This joint profession of faith, a sign of the times and of the depth of this cooperation, which has been the subject of bilateral political dialogue since 2003, was announced the day after the informal Environment Council of Vilnius, where Xie Zenhua, the Chinese negotiator in chief for the climate, was invited to attend a discussion with the 28 ahead of the forthcoming conference of UN negotiations (COP 19, Warsaw, 11-22 November) (see EUROPE 10890).
The two sides have decided to step up their political dialogue and to make their cooperation more practical and more effective by making a commitment to get the business world and industry on board. They also agreed to improve the implementation of existing cooperation projects, such as the EU-China environmental governance programme, and to work towards the launch of new projects, particularly in the framework of the bilateral programme for sustainable development they support. By common accord, and environmental forum will be set up, which will meet every two years to discuss subjects of mutual interest and bring together all players and representatives of the industry to create a new dimension for the EU-China strategic partnership. This forum will meet for the first time in Brussels in 2014, focusing on the theme of green growth.
The EU and China will step up their cooperation in the framework of multilateral environmental agreements concerning biodiversity, chemicals - particularly mercury - and waste. Both sides will also reinforce their bilateral cooperation on preservation of biodiversity and ecosystems, and acknowledging the need to put a figure on the value of the services provided by the ecosystems, the importance of accounting for natural capital and using innovative financing mechanisms. They also recognise the need to make constant and targeted efforts to stimulate productivity and the sustainable effectiveness of resources.
This meeting allowed Minister Zhou to develop the concept of ecological civilisation and the three priorities of Chinese environmental policy: specifically, the prevention and control of atmospheric pollution by the finest PM2.5 particles, and the protection of the environment in rural areas based mainly around the cleanliness of drinking water. Potocnik presented his opposite number with the road map to steer Europe towards reductions in the use of resources between now and 2050 and the virtues of the circular economy as driving forces behind green growth, for which the involvement of business will be vital (see EUROPE 10869). (AN/transl.fl)