Sustainable development: a prominent problem in 2008
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/22/content_10542163.htm
Peace and best wishes.
Xi
by He Jing, Yang Jun
BEIJING, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The year 2008 has witnessed a
fluctuation in global oil prices, grave food supply problems, natural
catastrophes, continued deterioration of environment and the unfolding
global financial crisis.
The cascade of crises has posed severe challenges for sustainable
development and has topped the agenda of nearly all high-level
meetings in 2008, from the World Economic Forum in Dovas in January,
the Group of Eight (G8) Summit in Hokkaido, Japan, to the 7th Asian-
European Meeting in Beijing.
FROM FOOD TO LIVING
The intractable issue of climate change showed no signs of easing
in 2008 as a major snow storm wrecked southern China, tropical storm
Erin lashed Texas, the United States, Hurricane Felix struck Central
America and a cyclone claimed 70,000 lives in Myanmar.
The number of natural calamities in the world, due partly to
global warming, has quadrupled in the past two decades, a UN study
said.
The world suffered about 120 natural disasters per year in the
early 1980s, compared with the current figure of about 500.
WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan said at this year's World
Health Day that climate change endangers health in fundamental ways.
In the long run, climate change can also have consequences such as
water shortages, a deterioration in living conditions, an increase in
economic losses, and a sea level rise.
Climate change has also taken a toll on the global food supply,
triggering a continued increase in the number of hungry people across
the world. The number of people plagued by hunger increased to 925
million from the 850 million last year, the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization said.
Some 37 countries currently face a food crisis, sparking tensions
and social conflicts. Riots and demonstrations first broke out in
Latin America and then spread to the African continent and Southeast
Asia.
According to a confidential World Bank report obtained by the
British Guardian newspaper, plant fuels have played a "significant"
part in pushing food prices to record levels.
The "Strategy for Biofuels" adopted by Europe and the United
States to boost significantly the production of fuels from
agricultural raw materials diverted enormous amounts of grains into
fuel and drove up food prices around the world.
Carbon dioxide emissions in industrialized countries that partly
contributed to climate changes were also blamed for the grain output
reduction.
OVERCONSUMPTION TRIGGERS ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said human activity
is a major causal factor of global climate change.
Ever since the industrial revolution, human activities, especially
the massive consumption of energy and resources by developed
countries, have increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse
gases, produced conspicuous impacts on the natural ecosystems of the
Earth and endangered the survival and development of human society.
America, though accounting for only 5 percent of the world's
population, consumes 26 percent of the world's energy and serves as a
typical example of over consumption.
"The human population is now so large that the amount of resources
needed to sustain it exceeds what is available," the United Nations
Environment Program said in its Global Environment Outlook report.
The endeavor to ensure sustainable development was also dampened
by the ongoing global financial slump, which delayed some green energy
projects and stoked fears that a shortage of investment money would
lead to cheap and dirty decisions on new power plants, said Yvo de
Boer, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate
Change,
Investors, however, should see the crisis as "an opportunity for
green growth" as they replace up to 40 percent of the world's power
generation over the next decade, de Boer said.
In general, major threats to the planet such as climate change,
the rate of extinction of species and the challenge of feeding a
growing population are among the many that remain unresolved, and all
of them put humanity at risk.
BALANCE BETWEEN DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
The leaders at the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit agreed that enhanced
commitments or actions by all major economies are essential for taming
climate change.
"We recognize that what the major developed economies do will
differ from what major developing economies do, consistent with the
principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective
capabilities," said a declaration endorsed at the end of the summit.
The Seventh Asia-Europe Meeting, in its Beijing Declaration on
Sustainable Development, reiterated that sustainable development bears
on the present and future of mankind, the very existence and
development of all nations, world peace and prosperity. "All nations
should, whilst pursuing economic development, strive to maintain
environment quality and take full account of the needs of future
generations."
At the two-day meeting, Chinese President Hu Jintao urged all
parties concerned to observe principles and provisions of the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol,
particularly the principle of common but differentiated
responsibilities and respective capabilities, and to implement the
decisions of the Bali Action Plan on taming climate change.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in November that in the process of
industrialization and urbanization, greater emphasis should be placed
on advancing the transformation of economic development mode and
economic restructuring and encouraging production methods and
consumption mode that help conserve energy and resources,
In face of the challenges to sustainable development, no single
country can maintain its own integrity and address them alone. To
strike a balance between economic development and environmental
protection, all countries should work together through dialogue and
coordination in order to realize a mutually beneficial and win-win
result and harmonious development.
"The commingled problems of climate change, economic growth and
the environment suggest their own solution. Only sustainable
development -- a global embrace of green growth -- offers the world,
rich countries as well as poor, an ensuring prospect of long-term
social well-being and prosperity," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
said recently.
On Dec 26, 3:00 pm, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote:
> My comment: IMO the most important statement is that "To improve
> financing services for importers and exporters, policy banks will be
> encouraged to provide more export credits. Trade between Guangdong,
> the Yangtze River Delta and Hong Kong and Macao, and that between
> Guangxi, Yunnan and members of the Association of Southeast Asian
> Nations will be settled in Renminbiyuan on a trial basis.". In
> particular the last one, to use the yuan for foreign trade from and to
> Yunnan and Guanxi with the ASEAN. It means that China´s govermnet will
> check to accept resposibility of using yuan as a currency standard
> tool for the largest potential developing area on Earth instead of
> using US dollar.
>
> Peace and best wishes.
>
> Xi
>
> China to take measures to spur consumption, stimulate foreign
> tradehttp://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/24/content_10554248.htm
>
> BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- More measures will be taken to stimulate
> consumption and support foreign trade, according to Wednesday's
> executive meeting of China's State Council, or the cabinet.
>
> A document released after the meeting, chaired by Premier Wen
> Jiabao, said to stimulate domestic consumption, efforts should be made
> to improve the rural circulation network, increase the variety of
> commodities available in rural markets, improve urban community
> service-facilities, promote upgrade of durable goods, support
> development of circulation companies, stimulate holiday consumption
> through exhibitions, and step up supervision over product quality and
> safety.
>
> Details of some of the seven measures to boost domestic
> consumption are as follows:
>
> -- On rural circulation network: Setting up more new stores and
> distribution centers and renovating existing stores in rural regions
> nationwide in the next two years.
>
> -- On varieties of commodities and household appliances to
> countryside: Increasing subsidies to encourage farmers to buy more
> goods; ensuring the quality of household appliances sold with after-
> sales services.
>
> -- On urban community service-facilities: Renovating and
> standardizing urban food markets nationwide to ensure convenient and
> safer consumption.
>
> -- On durable goods upgrading: Setting up more second-hand markets
> in cities; encouraging manufacturers and retailers to conduct trade-in
> activities for urban consumers.
>
> -- On circulation companies: Encouraging acquisition and merger by
> larger circulation companies to lower operating cost and cut commodity
> prices; supporting development of small and medium-sized commercial
> trade companies by helping them in financing.
>
> In the fiscal year of 2009, the central government plans to
> increase its financial support for the development of the rural
> circulation network and the service industry.
>
> The meeting adopted measures to relieve the difficulties of
> exporters and ensure a stable growth of foreign trade.
>
> The government plans to raise export tax rebates for high-tech and
> high-value-added products. A central government fund for trade
> development will be increased.
>
> The government will adjust the forbidden and limited commodity
> categories of processing trade. Standards on environment and
> technology will be eased. It will also encourage the transfer of
> processing trade from the eastern to the central and western regions.
>
> To improve financing services for importers and exporters, policy
> banks will be encouraged to provide more export credits. Trade between
> Guangdong, the Yangtze River Delta and Hong Kong and Macao, and that
> between Guangxi, Yunnan and members of the Association of Southeast
> Asian Nations will be settled in Renminbiyuan on a trial basis.
>
> China will increase the imports of products that are needed in its
> market, particularly hi-tech products, critical equipment and
> elements, energy products and raw materials.
>
> The government will encourage foreign investment in hi-tech
> industries, energy-saving and environmental protection industries,
> modern service industries and outsourcing of services.
>
> Measures will be taken to facilitate trade, including 24-hour
> customs and inspection and quarantine services, exemption of
> inspection and quarantine fees for farm products exports, and lowering
> of inspection fees for textile exports.
>
> The government also plans to strengthen bilateral trade relations,
> properly settle trade frictions and disputes concerning the quality
> and safety of export products. Exporters will be encouraged to explore
> the emerging markets.
>
> On Dec 17, 8:34 pm, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
> >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mxAG1ZyWxM
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