Experts called for new energies and IFCE honored fellow with outstanding achievements

---Symposium on Developing International Partnerships for China’s Environment held successfully

The symposium on developing international partnerships for China’s environment was successfully held on Oct 3th in WashingtonDC by International Fund for Chinese Environment (IFCE). This symposium is one of IFCE’s 10th anniversary series activities, and around one hundred people participated. They are from US and Chinese governments, NGOs (non government organization), research institutes, enterprises, and the media. Speakers in the symposium called on enhancing the cooperation between United States and China, two “ecologically super power”,and the development of new energies to facilitate global sustainable development.

The symposium consisted of four parts, including addresses and speeches, awards ceremony, panel discussion and reception. Specially invited speakers include renowned environmentalist Lester Brown, Chris Flavin, the president of World Watch Institute, Ju Jin, Minister-counselor for Science and Tech, Chinese Embassy, and Dr. Ping He, the Chairman and president of IFCE.

Dr. He reviewed the significant activities and achievements made by IFCE in the last decade since its foundation. In 1996, thirty professionals founded IFCE in WashingtonDC, and the purpose was to develop international resources to help improve China’s environment. In the last decade, IFCE have carried out a series of profound activities in supporting non-government environment campaigns, exchanges of environmental technologies, policy advising and public education fields. IFCE provided trainings for more than 200 NGOs and 120 college student organizations, helped more than ten US companies in environmental and energy areas to enter to Chinese market, provided suggestions to Chinese government regarding converting farmlands to woods and grasslands, industrial pollution control mechanism, and ownership alteration of rural land tenure, as well as cultivated environmental concepts to younger generation through environmental art education. Dr. He presented that the accomplishment made resulted from the understanding of culture and technology, professional spirit, and efforts made by volunteers. Dr. He appreciated institutions and individuals who made efforts to support IFCE development.

Jin Ju, Minister-counselor for Science and Technology from Chinese Embassy congratulated the achievements made by IFCE. He pointed out that it is a good idea to protect the environment from the nongovernmental aspects, but it is also difficult task to carry out. The easiest areas of the cooperation between US and China is the environment and energy, because it concerns people on both sides. There are many things for China to learn from US in environmental and energy fields. He expressed his sincere hope that the sky in Beijing would be as clear as that in WashingtonDC one day.

Mr. Lester Brown, the renowned environmentalist and advisor of IFCE, pointed out that China had exceeded US in the consumption of many raw materials, and the population growth rate and economic development in China would have more and more significant impact on the global energy utilization and generation. If the Chinese and Indian consume the energy as much as the American does, our earth would be destroyed. The petroleum dependant economy has to be changed, and new energies like wind and solar energy should be developed extensively. He also suggested to study from developed country, Danmark, to impose tax on energy consumption, and reduce income tax, so as to encourage people to save energy.

Mr. Chris Flavin, the president of World Watch Institute, mentioned that China and US were the two “ecologically super power” in the world, and they are also inter-depended. If two countries don’t cooperate, there would be huge pressure on global resources, on the contrary, if they cooperate, there would be significantly positive impact on sustainable development. He observed that the richest person in China is a solar energy specialists and China had two thirds of the solar heater users all over the world. The technology for new energy has grown mature, and the US should help China utilize new energy in terms of funds and technology.

Mr. Mike Eckhart, the president of the American Council on Renewable Energy, analyzed the new energy market both in US and China, and indicated cooperation fields and issues for both parties. He said China has a strong advantage in the manufacture area, and the main barrier for the US new energy technology into Chinese market is intellectual property right and further opening of the market in China. Both parties have good bases in policies and funds. Especially after Renewable Energy Law into effect in China this year, China has moved ahead of US in this field.

In order to honor individuals and institutes who made outstanding contributions to the Chinese environment and IFCE, there were three categories of awards set up in this 10th anniversary. The “outstanding achievement award” honors individuals who made persistent and significant contribution to the Chinese environment, and the recipients of this award were Mr. Congjie Liang, the president of Chinese “Friends of Nature” and Mr. James Harris, the vice president of US “International Crane Foundation”. The “Outstanding contribution award” honors IFCE’s advisors, directors, and volunteers who made significant contribution to IFCE’s development, and the recipients of this award were Mr. Tad Ferris, the vice chairman of IFCE and Dr. Frank Xia, the treasurer of IFCE. The “Best Partnership Award” honors the institute, who cooperated with IFCE and made significant contribution to the Chinese environment and technology development, and the recipient of this award was theAmerican Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE).

Mr. Congjie Liang was the initiator of the first registered Chinese environmental NGO-Friends of Nature (FON) . Over the last decade, FON has been working on environmental education and endangered wild animal protection, providing assistance to the development of other NGO, and FON has been recognized as environmental pioneer and leader in China. Mr. Harris has been working on the development of crane protection in China in last twenty years. In Caohai,Guizhou,he helped develop farmers domestic economy through small funds to protect the habitats of endangered Black-necked Crane. This project became a conservation model in China.

Mr. Tad Ferris has supported IFCE development for many years, and the law firm he is working with is the key sponsor of NGO forums. Since his service on IFCE’s board in 2002, he has made significant contribution to IFCE’s programs, especially providing funds and efforts. Dr. Frank Xia is one of the initiators of IFCE, and has served as IFCE’s treasurer for many years. During his service, he has made significant contribution to IFCE’s sustainable development.

American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) has been working to promote cooperation of renewable energy between US and China, assisting Chinese government to establish Renewable Energy Law, and organized Chinese specialists to study new energy technologies and policies. ACORE will develop Great Wall Renewable Energy Forum with ChineseRenewableEnergyAcademy at the end of October, and will also organize a tour on wind and solar energy with IFCE, for which more than twenty companies and institutes registered so far.

There were five speakers in the panel presentation. They are Mr. Graham Pugh, the senior advisor of US. Department of Energy, Mr, Ken Shapiro, the Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Science at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Rui Liu, the Vice President of IFCE and Professor of Beijing Normal University, Ms. Susan Bass, the Senior Vice President of Earth Day Network, and Mr. Jeremy Schreifels, senior consultant of US Environmental Protection Agency. From different aspects, they shared experiences and introduced projects and programs in terms of the cooperation of energy, environment and ecology conservation between US and China.

More than ten Chinese and international media outlets covered this event, including Phoenix Satellite TV, Chinese News Agency, Science and Technology Daily, and United Press International. IFCE expressed its thankfulness to the organizations, institutes, and individuals who supported the development of IFCE in the last decades. The sponsors for this symposium and reception included Holland & Knight, Fenghe Environmental Engineering Company in Shenzhen, the Berger Group. Individual sponsors included Dr. Jingli Yang, Dr. Hui Li, Ms. Helen He, Dr. Xiaojun Li, and Dr. Qiyuan Pan. The volunteers participated and organized this symposium include Ms. Jindan Li, Ms. Jing Su and Mr. Hualin Feng.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　                    Photos>>>