Environment ministers from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) yesterday drew up a list of 10 priorities to help strengthen cooperation and pursue low-carbon growth across three nations.

The trio, who met for the 11th trilateral ministerial dialogue on environmental protection in Beijing on the weekend, agreed tackling pollution during the global economic downturn was vital.

The priorities they will focus on for the next five years are environmental education, climate change, biodiversity, sandstorm prevention, air and water pollution management, circular economy, trans-border electronic waste and toxic chemicals management, northeast Asia environmental governance and the development of green technologies.

Minister for Environmental Protection Zhou Shengxian said China had vetoed all heavy-polluting and high energy-consuming projects in its 4-trillion-yuan (US$586 billion) economic stimulus package.

"China has seen a steady reduction in two major pollutants. The emissions of sulfur dioxide and chemical oxygen demand, and the measure of air and water pollution, dropped 5.95 and 4.42 percent respectively last year," he said.

Japan has also announced a policy of "green economic and social change", and aims to drag the country out of recession by boosting electric car and new energy industries, which will also contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).

Tetsuo Saito, Japan's environment minister, said his country had unveiled a plan to cut GHGs by 15 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, excluding the carbon credits purchased from clean development mechanism projects.

Similarly, Lee Maanee, environment minister for the ROK, said promoting green growth was a priority in his country, adding it was set to become a global "model" for low-carbon development.

The trilateral ministerial dialogue on environmental protection began in 1999 and has already made "substantial achievements" in environment education, sandstorm prevention and fostering a circular economy, said Zhou.

Saito added the combined efforts of the three countries, such as in air and water pollution control, will be crucial to Northeast Asia, while Lee said the nations would share information on pollution and green technologies, as well as cooperate on staff training.

Ministers for the three countries will also submit a joint statement on hot environmental issues to the second China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting in August.

China and Japan also signed several memorandums of understanding to deepen bilateral cooperation on environmental protection, as well as the public awareness and development of green technologies.

(China Daily June 15, 2009)