A joint declaration was made yesterday 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 yesterday 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 US$180 billion 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 percent, rising from the current 7 percent, Zhang added.

Zhang said that China will actively develop biomass liquid fuel over the next 15 years. The government aims to replace 10 million tons of petroleum used every year with biomass liquid fuel. 

China also plans to expand heat collection capacities of solar heaters to 300 million cubic meters by 2020, which should replace about 40 million tons of standard coal used annually.

(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency November 8, 2005)