From July 26th to 27th, 2014, the First International Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Industries Promotion Conference of the Central and Western Regions (the IPCW Conference) was held in Beijing China World Hotel. The Conference was held jointly by IEEPA, UNIDO and CAPE and supported by CRDRI and industrial association in Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Hebei and Beijing. The Conference exhibited the energy conservation and environmental protection development achievements of over 40 enterprises and has attracted over 380 people from central and western China as well as foreign countries.

Wang Jirong, Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee of the 11th National People’s Congress and Deputy Director of the Former State Environmental Protection Administration, Li Junru, Former President of the Central Party School of CPC, Niu Wenyuan, Consultant of the State Council and Chief Scientist and Head of the Sustainable Development Strategy Research Group of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Che Shujian, Director of the Architectural Society of China, Ren Yuling, renowned economist and Director of the China Region Development & Reform Institute, Ma Shengrong, Former Director of Xinhua News Agency, Bheki W.J. Langa, Ambassador of South Africa to China, Jin Sam Kim, Vice President of Yeungnam University, Andrea Nessi, Secretary General of Swiss Chinese Chamber of Commerce in China and Patrik Li, China Business Advisor of the British Chamber of Commerce in China attended the opening ceremony of the Conference hosted by Secretary General Jon Li.

Wang Jirong, Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee of the 11th National People’s Congress and Deputy Director of the Former State Environmental Protection Administration, delivered a keynote speech on the opening ceremony under the theme of “Complying with the Nature, Paying attention to the Environment and Ensuring People’s Health.” During her speech, Deputy Director Wang pointed out that besides recognizing different forms of human existence, we also need to respect different forms of natural existence. This is an important principle of ecological civilization. Environmental problems are actually about energy or development model in a deeper sense. To address environmental problems, we must change our way of development and living. Without addressing the issue of the coordinated development within the human society, we can not strive for a balance between people and the nature.

According to Li Junru, Former President of the Central Party School of CPC, ecological civilization and a clean China requires the integration of external conditions and internal qualities. Based on the current speed, China’s modernization can not be achieved until 2020. When developing our economy, we must take into consideration the current stage of our development. The same applies to political, cultural, social and ecological civilization construction. It is important that we recognize the reality when constructing the ecological civilization. Regarding the energy conservation and environmental protection work in central and western China, we need to take the regional reality into consideration on the one hand and to promote relevant work in local areas with effective actions on the other hand.

Niu Wenyuan, Consultant of the State Council and Chief Scientist and Head of the Sustainable Development Strategy Research Group of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, also delivered a speech on the opening ceremony. He believed that through sustainable development and strict measures on energy conservation and emission reduction, we may achieve the target of energy conservation and emission reduction by 2049. By then, we can realize the following three zero growth targets: 1) the natural population growth rate becomes close to zero, i.e. maintaining the overall population at the level of 1.45 to 1.47 billion. 2) The consumption of resources, water and soil no longer grows with the accumulation of wealth. 3) Environmental pollution and ecological vulnerability no longer increases. To realize this grand target, we must take actions from today.

In his keynote speech, Che Shujian, Director of the Architectural Society of China pointed out that human beings are faced with multiple crisis in the field of climate change and resources in the 21st century. It is after long-term exploration and painful experiences that we have reached the consensus of adopting green and low-carbon development. The current strategic position of ecological civilization fits the need and pattern of natural and human development. It is a correction to the old economic development pattern that overlooks the environment, a major change of the economic development model and an adjustment of the current economic development strategy.

Ren Yuling, renowned economist and Director of the China Region Development & Reform Institute believed that the construction of big enterprises must be combined with people’s interest when conducing energy conservation and emission reduction work. To make progress in this field, government at all levels must do their best. The governments need to adjust the industrial structure, strive for technological innovation, make good use of the research budget and promote good research result in order to yield good results in the field of energy conservation and environmental protection.

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