The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), set up under the Kyoto Protocol, is dedicated to the reduction of emissions and energy-saving projects, and promotes the transfer of advanced technologies as well as sustainable development, to developing countries.

The EU-China CDM Facilitation Project, with objectives of strengthening the capacity of China's Designated National Authority (DNA) and Chinese Designated Operational Entities (DOEs), introducing European and international standards in quality management of the CDM development process, as well as increasing awareness of CDM opportunities in China; was launched in Beijing on June 28th.

With implementation by Chinese and European partners, and supported by grants from the European Commission, the project, with a budget of 2.8 million Euros, is so far the largest capacity CDM-building project in China that will run until 2010.

While speaking at the ceremony of its launch, Nicholas Costello, First Counselor of the Delegation of the European Commission to China and Mongolia, expressed his strong commitment in this project and thanked the project team, particularly the two supporting ministries, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the State Environment Protection Agency.

Gao Guangsheng, Director General of the Office of the National Coordination Committee on Climate Change, NDRC; and Yue Ruisheng, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), also attended and made speeches at the ceremony.

"In terms of the global policy on climate change, the year 2007 is of great importance to China- perhaps the most important year so far. Since the publication of the reports by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Changes, there has been a greater need for action. The issue of climate change has been moved to the very top of the international political agenda," said Mr. Costello.

China has been demonstrating its strong commitment to meeting these challenges through the development of a national climate change program, launched three weeks ago. In a recent G8+5 meeting, Chinese president Hu Jintao, and European Commission president Barroso, made very strong commitments to work together towards a new global agreement in order to attain environmental protection and sustainable development.

"The EU strongly supports this positive development in the climate change policy in China. The EU has committed itself to reducing green house gas emissions, in the EU, by at least 20 percent by the year 2020, from the amount in 1990. In addition, the launch of the project has been praised for being a specific objective of the EU-China Climate Change Partnership established in 2005," further added Mr. Costello.

With this project, China and the EU will be able to facilitate the implementation of the clean development mechanism, to exchange information on the CDM project, as well as to encourage EU companies to engage in the CDM project in China. This will accelerate the process of sustainable development and environmental protection.

By People's Daily Online