Opening remark

It is my pleasure to be here today to introduce you the White Paper on China 's Policies and Actions on Addressing Climate Change.

Climate change is an issue that attracts global attention. Addressing climate change is a common challenge of the world which concerns the very survival of mankind and the development of every country. The Chinese Government attaches great importance to addressing climate change and has been actively participating in international processes on this issue, seriously fulfilling it's international obligations under the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol, and playing an active and constructive role in international cooperation. China is in the process of industrialization and accelerated urbanization. Despite faced with the double challenges of both to achieve economic development, poverty reduction and to mitigate GHG emissions, China fully recognizes the importance and urgency of addressing climate change and has therefore formulated and implemented a series of policies and measures to address climate change. The Chinese Government released China 's National Climate Change Program (CNCCP) in June 2007.

The white paper consists of eight chapters, namely Climate Change and China's National Circumstances, Impact of Climate Change on China, Strategies and Objectives of Addressing Climate Change, Policies and Actions on Mitigation, Policies and Actions on Adaptation, Improving Public Awareness and Capacity of Participation, Strengthening International Cooperation on Climate Change, and Institutional and Organizational Building Related to address to Climate Change. The white paper issued today illustrates China ' s proactive policies and concrete actions on addressing climate change, the latest progress that has been made in implementing the CNCCP, and China's positive position on addressing climate change. The main points of the white paper are as follows:

As restricted by national circumstances, China faces great challenges in addressing climate change. Climate change has posed real threats to China 's eco-system and economic and social development, most visibly in areas such as agriculture, eco-system, water resources, and coastal and ecologically fragile regions.

China advocates to addressing climate change actively within the framework of sustainable development, and to this end fully implements the CNCCP, and strengthens efforts to achieve the CNCCP's objectives, by 2010, on controlling GHG emissions, enhancing adaptation capacity, strengthening scientific research and technology innovation, raising public awareness and enhancing management.

China actively implements mitigation policies and actions. By optimizing economic structure, shifting development mode, and promoting resource conservation and energy efficiency, optimizing energy mix and carrying out afforestation, China makes great achievements in mitigating GHG emissions. In 2007 China 's energy consumption per unit GDP dropped by 3.66%. In 2006 and 2007 the aggregated energy conservation amounted to 147 million tons of coal equivalent, which is equivalent to avoiding 335 million tons of CO2 emission. In 2007 a total of 14.38 gigawatt installed capacity of small thermal power plants were shut down, 46.59 million tons of obsolete iron smelting capacity and 52 million tons of obsolete cement production capacity were eliminated. In 2007 the use of renewable energy amounted to about 220 million tons of coal equivalent, which is equivalent to avoiding about 500 millions tons of CO2 emission. In 2006 and 2007 newly installed wind power capacity totaled 3.05 gigawatt, growing by 148% on average annually. By the end of 2007, there were a total of over 260 million households nationwide using biogas as fuel, which substitutes 16 million tons coal equivalent annually and is equivalent to avoiding 440 millions tons CO2 emission.

China carries out adaptation policies and actions actively in areas such as agriculture, forestry and other eco-systems, water resources, coastal areas and other fragile regions, and positive results have been achieved. The capacity of disaster prevention and relief and the integrated production capacity in agriculture and forestry have been strengthened significantly. By the end of 2007, a nationwide accumulative total of one million km2 water and soil erosion areas have been improved effectively. The capacity of ocean disaster prevention has been intensified and improved, and a multi-dimensional surveillance network for ocean environment is established preliminarily.

China attaches great importance to education in the field of environment protection and climate change, publicity campaign and promotion of public awareness, and makes great efforts to promote public participation in addressing climate change.

China actively participates in international cooperation on addressing climate change, plays a positive and constructive role to promote the effective implementation of the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol, advances technology transfer and cooperation under the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol, and promotes CDM cooperation.

China has further streamlined governmental structure and strengthened national leadership on addressing climate change, including improving coordination mechanisms. Governments at all levels are to address climate change as an important part of implementing the Scientific Approach of Development, mainstream climate change into economic and social development plans, formulate measures in line with regional or departmental circumvents, and keep improving the organizational structure and implementing capacity on addressing climate change.

The core message from the White Paper is that, in the spirit of being responsible for the long-term development of the Chinese people and the mankind, the Chinese Government will staunchly stick to sustainable development, constantly strengthen capacity building on addressing climate change, and continuously make valuable contribution to the protection of global climate.