08-11-05
A joint declaration was made at the 2005 Beijing
International Renewable Energy Conference calling on governments to speed up the
use and expansion of renewable energy. The conference was opened at the Great
Hall of the People.
"We urge governments to go beyond the Bonn Declaration and to acknowledge that
renewable energy and energy efficiency are the most important energy strategies
in the 21st century," the declaration states.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from 12 countries, 52 organizations and
87 international representatives are attending the conference, which has
attracted a total of 1,200 participants.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, President Hu Jintao said the conference is
expected to work as a platform "for China to learn from experiences of other
countries in using renewable energy," and to help the country map out its
national strategies on that front.
Representatives from NGOs, including the Institute for Sustainable Energy
Policies, and the China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO), added that
governments have the responsibility to ensure the rapid market development of
renewable energy both in rural and urban areas through the implementation of
incentive mechanisms.
"NGOs are informed, skilled and equal participants in both global and national
efforts," Huang Haoming of CANGO said.
The Chinese government will raise about $ 180 bn to develop renewable energy
from now to 2020, Zhang Guobao, vice minister of the National Development and
Reform Commission (NDRC), said. By then, the share of renewable energy in
primary energy consumption should stand at 15 %, rising from the current 7 %,
Zhang added.
Zhang said that China will actively develop biomass liquid fuel over the next 15
years. The government aims to replace 10 mm tons of petroleum used every year
with biomass liquid fuel.
China also plans to expand heat collection capacities of solar heaters to 300
mm cm by 2020, which should replace about 40 mm tons of standard coal used
annually.
Source: China Daily