Project introduction

The overall objective of this pilot action is to mobilize industrial potential capacity for improving energy efficiency and reducing emission by 3-5% per year through demonstrating a pilot project of adopting innovative voluntary approaches in urban China. This VA implementation action aims at stimulating the constructive coordination and cooperation in China among different industrial sectors, local governments, public and other stakeholders. In this way the traditional command-and-control approaches will be amplified by more environmental responsibility oriented voluntary agreements on the basis of public-private-partnership between stakeholders. Thereby practical relations will be identified between command-and-control regulation and voluntary approaches on industrial environmental management in urban areas of China.

On the basis of the overall objective four specific objectives of the action have been identified:

1. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the China-specific voluntary model that has been developed with the context of urban China by the EC Asia Pro Eco I project “Feasibility Study on Demonstrating Voluntary Approaches for Industrial Environmental Management in China (project nr. ASI/B7-301/2598/19-2004/79073)” in Nanjing City and the western Chinese cities of Xian and Kelamayi;
2. To enhance the capacity of local environmental departments and companies of Nanjing, Xian and Kelamayi for implementing innovative urban environmental management LTA’s through exchanging of best practices and ideas between EU and China and between Eastern China and Western China. This will create effective and constructive partnerships among the involved stakeholders in urban areas.
3. To achieve high environmental standards in the 14 target companies by improving energy-efficiency and reducing emissions significantly. On top of the Business-As-Usual (BAU) scenario the 14 target companies can achieve an annual energy saving of 3-5% (equalling a 3-5% annual reduction of greenhouse gas emission) as well as a 3-5% annual reduction of wastewater and solid waste by means of this VA implementation action. It is estimated that the total annual energy savings from these 14 target companies will be approximately 18 PJ in 2009, which equals to one-year energy consumption of 300 thousands urban dwellers. The national target of energy saving (according to recent NDRC policies) is 1056 PJ in 2009. Therefore the intended energy saving from the 14 target companies contributes 1.7% to the national total energy saving target in 2009. The resulting reduction of CO2 emission will be 2 million tons per year. In 2009 the annual reduction of water consumption will be 100 million tons per year equivalent to one-year water consumption of 1 million urban dwellers.
4. To develop and publish China-specific VA Manual (including tool kit) for guiding implementation of VA’s throughout China.

This pilot action started on 29 December 2006, and will end on 28 December 2009.

Contactperson: Mr. G.H. (Erik) ter Avest, E-mail: e.ter.avest@senternovem.nl

Copyright 2007 The Project Committee All right reserved