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)