VZCZCXRO1175
RR RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHGZ #0663 1620837
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 110837Z JUN 07
FM AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6140
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 3808
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
UNCLAS GUANGZHOU 000663
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/CM AND EB
BANGKOK FOR USAID
USPACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ENRG PGOV PREL CH
SUBJECT: Energy Efficiency Conference in Guangzhou Provides
Forum for Frank and Open Dialogue
1. (U) Under a U.S.-China cooperation program supported by
USD 1.8 million in USAID funding - and convened by
Guangzhou's Sun Yat-Sen University School of Law with the
Vermont Law School and the Institute for Sustainable
Communities - more than 200 government officials, scholars,
and business representatives attended a conference in
Guangzhou on May 11 and 12 to discuss mainland China's
draft energy efficiency and draft circular economy laws.
Comments by the participants were collected for submission
to the Chinese National People's Congress (NPC).
2. (U) The conference, at which the Consul General spoke
about the need for us to prove ourselves capable stewards
of our limited energy resources, included panel discussions
by American and Chinese experts on energy efficiency, the
energy conservation law, and the circular economy law.
Over 200 people attended the conference, including Sun Yat-
Sen University President Huang Daren, 60 government
officials, 60 scholars, 30 business representatives, 20
representatives from NGOs and research institutes, and
about 30 students.
3. (U) Two roundtable break-out sessions focused on the
draft laws, allowing all conference participants to discuss
the impact of the laws on energy and environmental issues.
(Note: In 2006, China set the target of lowering its energy
consumption per unit of GDP by 20 percent by 2010 as part
of the 11th Five-Year Plan. To meet this goal, China is
working to amend its eight-year old Energy Efficiency Law
and create a Circular Economy Law. End Note.) Comments
for submission to the NPC were collected during the
roundtable sessions. Press coverage of the event included
television and newspapers.
GOLDBERG