Category Archives: Sustainable urbanisation

Bringing cycling culture back to China and Taiwan

Zevitz, Elise (2013) Switching gears and bringing cycling culture back to China and Taiwan. The City Fix, March 25
http://thecityfix.com/blog/switching-gears-bringing-cycling-culture-back-china-taiwan-elise-zevitz/ (accessed 8 July 2013).

China is currently experiencing the fastest growth in bike-sharing in the world, with thirty-nine bike-shareBicycle service Hangzhou systems in place, with the latest addition from last month in Aksu, near the the Kyrgyzstan border. At the head of the thirty-nine cities sits Hangzhou, which currently runs the world’s largest bike-sharing program, with over 60,000 bikes in service. That’s 40,000 more than the Vélib bike-sharing program in Paris, France.

Yet, at the same time, bikes have lost the wide appeal they once had in China. “In 1950, as a status symbol, every citizen had to have three things: a watch, a sewing machine, and a bicycle”, says professional fixed gear cyclist, Ines Brunn, who has lived in China since 2004. In the last decade, however, Brunn observes that the bike has become an image of the past and a mode of transport for those who cannot afford cars. However, local governments and their citizens in China and Taiwan are recognizing that more needs to be done to promote cycling as a commuter mode and a recreational activity, beyond implementing more bike-sharing programs.

Read full text on The City Fix

 

 

Monique Abud

Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine, EHESS, Paris, France

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A comparative study with Swedish and China’s eco-cities

Ying, Yin and Xiao, Xingfeng. (2012) A comparative study with Swedish and China’s eco-cities : from planning to implementation, taking the Hammarby Sjöstad, Sweden and Wuxi Sino-Swedish eco-city, China, as cases. Advanced Materials Research, 524-527, pp 2741-2750.

Abstract

This paper targets to improve understanding and explain influential factors of different planning and implementing process of two eco-cities, Hammarby Sjöstad, Sweden, and Sino-Swedish Low-carbon Eco-city, China. The study is approached by examining and comparing the two eco-cities in perspectives of plans formulation, policy and regulations foundation, planning management and implementing mechanisms. Lessons from Hammarby Sjöstad are that integrative planning and management, follow-up and evaluations of implementing results, and lifestyle transitions all need to be concerned, as well as environmental technologies. In Sino-Swedish low-carbon eco-city, lack of local technologies, supporting policies and regulations, inactive cross-sector cooperation and public participation are summarized as main obstacles. To approach these, efforts are made on formulating local regulations, government documents, and coordinating cross-sector cooperation, promoting mutual learning. Finally, concluding that, besides environmental technologies, the foundation of legislations, policies and environmental objectives, integrative approaches, public awareness are key areas need to be promoted for popularizing sustainability in China.

Article available on Scientific.Net (restricted access)

Monique Abud

Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine, EHESS, Paris, France

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Keys to the city

Storper, Michael (2013) Keys to the city : how economics, institutions, social interaction, and politics shape development. Princeton University Press. 288 p. ISBN: 9781400846269

Why do some cities grow economically while others decline? Why do some show sustained economic performance while others cycle up and down? In Keys to the City, Michael Storper, one of the world’s leading economic geographers, looks at why we should consider economic development issues within a regional context–at the level of the city-region–and why urban economies develop unequally. Storper identifies four contexts that shape urban economic development: economic, institutional, innovational, interactional, and political. The book explores how these contexts operate and how they interact, leading to developmental success in some regions and failure in others. Demonstrating that the global economy is increasingly driven by its major cities, the keys to the city are the keys to global development. In his conclusion, Storper specifies eight rules of economic development targeted at policymakers. Keys to the City explains why economists, sociologists, and political scientists should take geography seriously.

Monique Abud

Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine, EHESS, Paris, France

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Kunming confronted to the issue of recycled cooking oil

Luo, Chris. “Kunming struggling to deal with ‘gutter oil’”. South China Morning Post. 27 June 2013.  http://www.scmp.com/article/1270196/kunmings-making-gutter-oil-use-comes-stall [Accessed 27 June 2013]

Kunming, the capital city of China’s Yunnan province, is having problems dealing with recycled cooking oil – often derisively referred to as “gutter oil”. City municipal officials told the Chinese media that the problems with “gutter oil” have existed for centuries.

His comments attracted widespread condemnation from internet users. Some accused city authorities of shirking their responsibilities over the issue.

The use of illegal cooking oil – recycled from waste oil – is rampant in China. And because waste oil contains harmful carcinogens and other pollutants, mainland authorities have been determined to crack down on it for years.

Kunming has a national pilot scheme which converts recycled cooking oil into bio-fuels for vehicles. But the scheme is not working very well, the media also reports […] Read more

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Monique Abud

Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine, EHESS, Paris, France

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Everyday approaches to food safety in Kunming

Jakob A. Klein (2013). Everyday approaches to food safety in Kunming. The China Quarterly, 214, pp 376-393. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0305741013000325 [Access restricted]

The article explores how people in Kunming have interpreted and acted upon food-related environmental health threats, particularly within the contexts of everyday food shopping. It is argued that an increasingly intensified, delocalized food supply system and a state-led emphasis on individual responsibility and choice have produced growing uncertainties about food. However, the article takes issue with the claim that new forms of risk and institutional changes have produced “individualized” responses, arguing that many of the practices Kunmingers have developed to handle food-related risks and their understandings of what constitutes “safe” food have been developed within the frameworks of family ties and regional cuisine. Further, shoppers and purveyors of food have forged new ties of trust and re-emphasized connections between people, food and place. Nevertheless, concerns about the food supply are a source of discontent which is feeding into wider ambivalences towards modernization. This is particularly acute among the economically disadvantaged.

  • Special section: “Dying for development”, The China Quarterly, vol. 214, June 2013. Table of contents (some articles are in free access)
  • Jacob A. Klein

 

Monique Abud

Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine, EHESS, Paris, France

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中国城市竞争力报告 (2013 版) = Annual Report on Urban Competitiveness

倪鹏飞, 主编 Ni Pengfei, ed. (2013)中国城市竞争力报告 : 11 Zhongguo chengshi jingzhengli baogao. 北京 : 社会科学文献出版社 Shehui kexue wenxian chubanshe. 460 p. ISBN: 978-7-5097-4575-5

图书简介

ZG chengshi过去10年,中国城市在增长方式转变方面收效甚微,同时房价过高、环境恶化、社会问题多发等问题凸显,“城市病”不断加剧。寻求可持续的发展机制和走新型城市化道路成为中国城市当前所面对的迫切问题。本年度报告将“新基准:建设可持续竞争力理想城市”作为研究主题,就是对未来中国城市发展方向的一次追寻和探索。《中国城市竞争力报告No.11》在前十份报告十年研究的基础上,将城市竞争力理论又向前推进了一步,使其理论框架更加清晰,政策含义更加鲜明。首次将城市竞争力明确区分为产出的、当前的和短期的城市综合经济竞争力,城市产业体系竞争力与投入的、可持续的和长期的城市可持续竞争力三个组成部分。城市综合经济竞争力即城市创造价值的能力,体现为城市创造价值的规模、速度和效率,城市可持续竞争力即城市的要素与环境状况,体现为城市在主体素质、当地要素、当地需求、主体联系、公共制度和基础设施六个方面的状况。其中,以构建理想城市为目标,我们提出理想城市应该是以人为本的宜居城市、创业至上的宜商城市、公平包容的和谐城市、环境友好的生态城市、创新驱动的知识城市、城乡一体的全域城市、交流便捷的信息城市和开放多元的文化城市,并从城市可持续竞争力的六个方面提取出关键因素,按照理想城市的这八项特征重新组合,作为其构成成分。然后从这些构成成分出发,设计了可持续竞争力的指标体系。因此,城市可持续竞争力就反映了城市和理想城市的差距与城市不断迈向理想城市的能力。根据城市综合经济竞争力和城市可持续竞争力的指标体系,我们对中国293个城市的综合经济竞争力和287个城市的可持续竞争力进行了分析和比较,发现中国城市总体上在可持续竞争力及其八个方面距理想城市的标准都存在很大差距,每个方面都存在一系列迫切问题有待解决。未来中国城市的发展,必须以建设理想城市为目标,从可持续竞争力的八个方面入手,逐步解决各方面的问题,走新型城市化的可持续发展的道路。

 

Presentation

New Benchmark: Constructing the Ideal city with Sustainable Competitiveness” It is a quest to explore the future development directions for cities in China. Based on research in the past ten reports,Annual Report on Urban Competitiveness(No.11)has achieved new progress in urban competitiveness theories with clearer theoretical framework and policy implications. It is the first time we clearly distinguish among the three parts of urban competitiveness,of which urban general economic competitiveness is the output,current and short-term aspect of urban competitiveness; urban industrial system competitiveness and urban sustainable competitiveness are the input,sustainable and long-term aspect of urban competitiveness. Urban general economic competitiveness shows cities’ ability to create value,which is reflected by the scale,speed and efficiency of cities’ value creation activity. Urban sustainable competitiveness is cities’ conditions of factors and environment,which is illustrated from six aspects,including the quality of economic agents,local factors,local demand,local and global connections,social systems and infrastructure. Aimed at building an ideal city,we claim that an ideal city should be people-oriented, livable city,entrepreneurship and business-friendly fair, inclusive, harmonious,environment-friendly,innovation-driven, city,urban-rural integrated,an communication and information friendly,culturally open and diversified. We extract key elements from the six aspects of urban sustainable competitiveness,and recompose them according to the eight characteristics of an ideal city. Then we design the index system of urban sustainable competitiveness. Therefore,a city’s urban sustainable competitiveness reflects the gap between an ideal city and its current state,as well as real cities ability to achieve the ideal. Based on the index system of urban general economic competitiveness and urban sustainable competitiveness,we analyze the urban general economic competitiveness of 293 cities and the urban sustainable competitiveness of 287 cities in China. And we find that there are big gaps between Chinese cities and the ideal city in terms of urban sustainable competitiveness in eight aspects. Each field needs to deal with a series of urgent problems. In the future,in order to build ideal cities and solve these problems effectively,Chinese cities should take the new path of urbanization and achieve sustainable development.

 

Monique Abud

Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine, EHESS, Paris, France

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China inaugurates Low-Carbon Day

China marks 1st National Low-carbon Day

China is marking its first National Low-carbon Day, in a fresh move to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the world’s second-largest economy.. National Low-Carbon Day will fall on the third day of the National Energy Efficiency Promotion Week every June.

Source: CCTV, 17 June 2013 (accessed 20 June 2013)

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Monique Abud

Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine, EHESS, Paris, France

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Urban Environmental Pollution 2013 – Asian Edition

Urban Environmental Pollution 2013 Asian Edition : Creating Healthy, Liveable Cities

 People all over the world are migrating to cities in search of jobs and cultural advantages, especially in Asia. This has resulted in the formation of huge megapolitan areas and surrounding peri-urban environs. In China, a 40 million urban area is planned.

The effects of cities on people are not well-understood. Cities require huge amounts of energy, resulting in large quantities of waste products, causing unsustainable environments. Cities are sources of air, water and soil pollution. Light and noise pollution are now known to adversely affect urban people. The role of urban heat islands and air pollution, PM2.5 and ozone, on human health is beginning to emerge. Lack of green space may have psychological effects for urban dwellers.

We began to explore the nature of the urban environment and pollution on human health and well-being at UEP2010 in Boston in June of 2010. This very successful conference identified many areas of urban life that warranted further investigation. UEP2013 aims to continue the exploration of the urban environment and how we can begin to create a healthy and liveable environment in cities.

 Topics list

  • New information about urban environments and how they function
  • Pollution problems and possible solutions
  • Role of the built environment in alleviating heat islands
  • Human health problems and solutions
  • Role of vegetation in mitigating urban pollution and human health problems
  • Innovative methods for alleviation of urban stress problems

Location

  • Beijing, China

Date

  • 17-20 November 2013

Deadline for abstracts

  • 31 July 2013

Programme Committee

  • William Manning, University of Massachusetts, USA (Chair)
  • Elena Paoletti, National Research Council (IPP-CNR), Italy
  • Claudia Wiegand, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark

Local Organising Committee

  • Yong-Guan Zhu, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
  • Tong Zhu, Peking University, Beijing, China (Local Chair)
  • Yonglong Lu, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
  • Yong-Guan Zhu, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Website

Monique Abud

Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine, EHESS, Paris, France

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China Water Risk = 中国水危机

Overview

China Water Risk is a non-profit initiative designed to help investors, businesses and individuals understand and mitigate risk around water.

The China Water Risk web portal, launched in pilot form as The Asia Water Project  (AWP) in 2010 and then in its current form as China Water Risk in September 2011, offers access to relevant information on water issues and showcases up to date research, some of which is commissioned specifically for the site.

China Water Risk works closely with a growing network of water and industry experts and investors from China and Hong Kong as well as with others based internationally. This  network shares an interest in building knowledge that will lead to better management of China’s increasingly scarce water resources.

China Water Risk is funded and managed by Hong Kong-based ADM Capital Foundation.

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总览

中国水危机是一个非营利性的倡议,旨在帮助投资者、商业和个人更好地理解和减缓他们所面临的水危机。

中国水危机门户网站作为亚洲水项目的试点形式成立于2010年,2011年九月形成现在的形式,为水问题相关信息以及数据搜寻示范提供渠道,其中有一些是专为网站而设的。

中国水危机和一个不断增长的关系网络有着密切的合作,包括水和工业专家、来自香港和中国大陆的投资者以及世界范围内的专业人士。我们关系网中的成员都有一个共同的兴趣来汇集知识,以助更好地管理中国日渐减少的水资源。

中国水危机由香港ADM Capital Foundation成立和管理。

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Monique Abud

Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine, EHESS, Paris, France

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Is China about to introduce a national carbon price?

Arup, Tom. (2013) Where there’s smoke there’s China. The Age World, 8 May (accessed 7 June 2013).

As a former top diplomat in Beijing, and after three decades of professional and personal engagement with the country, Professor Ross Garnaut is no stranger to China.

In January, the respected economist and former Labor climate policy tsar found himself in Beijing again, this time to open a workshop hosted in part by China’s powerful National Development and Reform Commission.

Gathered were a group of international policy wonks, including many Australians and local government officials. They met to discuss options for what some in the public debate deny is happening – the introduction of a national carbon price in China.

In just over a month China will begin a massive experiment in emissions trading when the first of seven regional pilot schemes kicks off (and which one day may develop into a national scheme).

The stakes are high. China emits one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gases. It is easily the world’s largest consumer of coal. In 2011 it released an estimated 9.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide – more than the US and India combined.

In his speech Garnaut painted a cautious, but encouraging, picture of where China stands on climate change.

Read more here

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Monique Abud

Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine, EHESS, Paris, France

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International conference on sustainable water resources management

The XXXIV. International Conference on Sustainable Water Resources Management aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects of Sustainable Water Resources Management, and discuss the practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted.

Special Journal Issues

ICSWRM 2013 has teamed up with the Special Journal Issue on Advances in Sustainable Water Resources Management. All submitted papers will have opportunities for consideration for this Special Journal Issue.

Location

  • Scandic Sergel Plaza, Brunkebergstorg 9, Box 16411, 103 27 Stockholm, Sweden 

Date

  • July 15-16, 2013

Paper submission

  • May 31, 2013

Publicity chair

  • James Nelson, Ph.D., New Mexico State University, New Mexico, USA
  • Alexander Vaninsky, Ph.D., HOSTOS CUNY, New York, USA
  • Igor Astrov, Ph.D., TTU, Tallinn, Estonia

Website

Monique Abud

Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine, EHESS, Paris, France

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Drought in Yunnan: ecological and water quality factors

Yang, Fangyi and Zhou Jiading (2013). Why has water-rich Yunnan become a drought hotspot? China dialogue, 29 April. (Accessed 23 May 2013). [English version]

杨方义, 周嘉鼎 (2013). 云南为什么缺水?中外对话, 4月 29日. (Accessed 23 May 2013). [中文版本]

Yunnan’s drought continues. During China’s annual parliamentary session in March, the deputy party secretary of the south-west Chinese province, Qiu He, blamed spring floodwaters that flow through Yunnan and on into other countries for the water shortages.
He proposed a system of reservoirs, dams and tanks to store that water, which could then be distributed more evenly over time and between locations. But many complained that Chinese officials were trying to pass their own troubles on to others.
Historically, Yunnan hasn’t been known for suffering droughts. Today, however, it is famous for it.
The winter and spring droughts that started in 2009 continue to plague China’s south-west, harming the region’s vulnerable economy – particularly agriculture and forestry. Cash crops such as sugar cane and coffee have been lost, and the crisis is restricting Yunnan’s economic growth.

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云南继续大旱。2013年3月,云南省委副书记仇和在全国两会期间表示:云南不是没有水,且水资源充沛,但三江春水向南流,多流到国外了。并 建议要大中小水库、坝塘、水窖一起蓄水,提高水资源时间和空间分布不均衡的解决能力。此语引发争议,很多人认为这是一些中国官员“以邻为壑”心态的体现。
历史上,云南绝不是一个以旱灾著称的地方,然而今天它成了中国著名的旱地。

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Related

Watts, Elleka (2013) Water scarcity and social equality in China. China power. A new world order, 23 May 2013. (Accessed 23 May 2013).

 

 

 

Monique Abud

Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine, EHESS, Paris, France

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Chinese impacts and impacting China

The new issue of Journal of Current Chinese Affairs is entitled  Chinese Impacts and Impacting China (See the the introduction written by Giese Karten: Chinese Impacts and Impacting China, Full Text: PDF (English).

The Journal of Current Chinese Affairs is a journal both print and online is devoted to the economic and political rise of the People’s Republic of China has stirred widespread debates on China’s potential and actual impact on both the international system and individual countries. At the same time, however, individual countries and global systems alike have always impacted developments in China, although these processes previously attracted much less scholarly attention. This issue of the Journal of Current Chinese Affairs presents a selection of exemplary cases relating to both phenomena that cover different areas of research. This collection of research articles demonstrates that increasing integration within the world system can never be regarded as a one-way street and involves impacting and being impacted simultaneously.

The online version can be found at www.CurrentChineseAffairs.org. It is published by GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Institute of Asian Studies in cooperation with the National Institute of Chinese Studies, White Rose East Asia Centre at the Universities of Leeds and Sheffield and Hamburg University Press.

This issue propose several articles on the environment in China.

Rasmus Lema, Axel Berger, Hubert Schmitz (2013), China’s Impact on the Global Wind Power Industry

Abstract

China’s economic rise has transformed the global economy in a number of manufacturing industries. This paper investigates whether China’s transformative influence extends to the new green economy. Drawing on the debate about how China is driving major economic changes in the world – the “Asian drivers” debate – it identifies five corridors of influence and investigates their relevance for the wind energy industries. Starting with the demand side, it suggests that the size and rapid growth of the Chinese market have a major influence on competitive parameters in the global wind power industry. While Western firms have found ways of participating in the growth of the Chinese market, the government’s procurement regimes benefit Chinese firms. The latter have invested heavily and learned fast, accumulating production capabilities that have led to changes in the global pecking order of lead firms. While the combined impact of Chinese market and production power is already visible, other influences are beginning to be felt – arising from China’s coordination, innovation and financing power.
Full Text available: PDF (English)

Axel Berger, Doris Fischer, Rasmus Lema, Hubert Schmitz, Frauke Urban (2013), China–Europe Relations in the Mitigation of Climate Change: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

Despite the large-scale investments of both China and the EU in climate-change mitigation and renewable-energy promotion, the prevailing view on China–EU relations is one of conflict rather than cooperation. In order to evaluate the prospects of cooperation between China and the EU in these policy fields, empirical research has to go beyond simplistic narratives. This paper suggests a conceptual apparatus that will help researchers better understand the complexities of the real world. The relevant actors operate at different levels and in the public and private sectors. The main message of the paper is that combining the multi-level governance and value-chain approaches helps clarify the multiple relationships between these actors.
Full Text available at : PDF (English)

 

Andreas Hofem, Sebastian Heilmann (2013), Bringing the Low-Carbon Agenda to China: A Study in Transnational Policy Diffusion

Abstract

This study traces the transnational interactions that contributed to introducing the low-carbon economy agenda into Chinese policymaking. A microprocessual two-level analysis (outside-in as well as inside-access) is employed to analyse transnational and domestic exchanges. The study provides evidence that low-carbon agenda-setting – introduced by transnational actors, backed by foreign funding, promoted by policy entrepreneurs from domestic research institutes, propelled by top-level attention, but only gradually and cautiously adopted by the government bureaucracy – can be considered a case of effective transnational diffusion based on converging perceptions of novel policy challenges and options. Opinion leaders and policy-brokers from the government-linked scientific community functioned as effective access points to the Chinese government’s policy agenda.

Full Text: PDF (English)

 

Jacqueline Nivard

Jacqueline Nivard, Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine

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Chinese solar panel and Europe

China’s Solar Dragon Year 2012

2013-2-13 (accessed 21 February 2013)

“According to the lunar calendar the year of the dragon came to an end on February 9, 2013. A “dragon year” which only takes place every 12 years is characterized by numerous significant events usually initiating/causing profound fundamental changes for the society, economy, and politics. This general belief or superstition certainly holds true as far as the deployment of solar in China in the coming years is concerned, because 2012 was indeed very eventful, since nearly almost every month an official announcement was made, designed to shape the future course of China’s solar development in the short, medium, and long term.

Mid February last year the Ministry for Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) took the lead in publishing its 12th Five-Year-Plan (FYP) 2011-2015 Roadmap for Solar Development emphasizing to intensify indigenous efforts related to technological advancements in order to ensure that its home-grown solar industry will manage to catch up and eventually exceed levels of its international peers. Interestingly the MIIT openly called for a consolidation of its domestic industry, thus implying the irrational expansion of massive production capacities is by far exceeding the global demand to date and coming years. Especially the latter was highlighted in the “Report on the Work of the Government” on March 15, 2012, released by the State Council in the course of the 11th National People’s Congress. Accordingly, the original version explicitly stipulated “to curb the blind expansion of the solar industry”; however upon discussions with legislators and political advisors this wording was amended “to prevent the blind expansion of the manufacturing capacity of solar energy facilities”. The chairman of the Shanghai Social Sciences Association Mr. Qin Shaode was quoted “We should prevent the industry from over-expansion because many local governments blindly launch projects. […] The amendment is more precise and could help to encourage a healthier development of the new energy industry” (…).

Read more on Renewable energy

European Solar Importers Defend Chinese in Anti-Dumping Case

2013-2-19 (accessed 19 February 2013)

“BRUSSELS — Importers of inexpensive solar panels from China said on Tuesday that imposing tariffs would lead to hundreds of thousands of job losses in the European Union, the biggest export market for the Chinese equipment.

The claims by the Alliance for Affordable Solar Energy, a coalition of companies that install and service panels, were aimed at stopping the European Commission from imposing penalties in the biggest trade case of its kind in terms of value.

The association presented its evidence on Monday at a hearing with the commission, which opened a case in September to determine whether the Chinese were selling solar equipment for less than the Chinese market price. (…)”

Read more on The New York Times

Solar panel duty on Chinese imports ‘could cost UK billions’

2013-2-19 (accessed 19 February 2013)

The antidumping case covers exports from China worth 21 billion euros ($28 billion) in 2011. The commission will decide by June whether to begin imposing provisional duties in the antidumping case. It began a second investigation in November into whether the Chinese government was unfairly subsidizing panel makers.

Read more on The Guardian

France launches rescue plan for solar power industry

2013-01-07 (accessed 19 February 2013)

(Reuters) – France has doubled its capacity target for photovoltaic power generation and offered more financial support to small solar power farms that use European-made panels in a bid to rescue the country’s ailing solar industry.

Energy Minister Delphine Batho announced the measures, which are expected to spur investments worth more than 2 billion euros ($2.6 billion), during a visit to a solar panel factory in Western France.

The Socialist government is seeking to rescue an industry which has lost about 15,000 jobs in the last two years, after the previous conservative government tried to dampen a speculative bubble in new solar power installations. In 2012 the industry employed 18,000 people, down from 32,500 in 2010. (…)

Read more on Reuters

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Jacqueline Nivard

Jacqueline Nivard, Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine

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Beyond eco-city development to creating eco-districts out of existing areas

Lohry, Gavin. 2012, December 3. Beyond eco-city development to creating eco-districts out of existing areas: the argument for a Beijing eco-district  http://ecocitynotes.com/2012/12/beyond-eco-city-development-to-creating-eco-districts-out-of-existing-areas-the-argumen (accessed 31 January 2013).

Eco-city development in China has been focused in new areas outside of existing cities that promise to be developed in a more sustainable way. These cities include the newest green building technologies, extensive green areas, sustainable transportation and environmentally friendly living. These eco-city developments are extremely promising and will see reduced environmental impacts compared to similar developments.

More important than the eco-cities themselves are the lessons that can be learned and technologies that can be fostered for future urban development. With hundreds of millions of people set to move to cities and increase their standard of living over the next 20 years, eco-cities will play an important role in China’s sustainability drive. The benefits gained through the experience of eco-city development will be much greater than the low footprint and improved sustainability of the cities themselves. The real benefits will come as the cities speed the innovation of construction and planning methods, which can be used in future urban development. The numerous eco-cities could be seen as the largest experiment in urban sustainability ever, with potential to produce an extensive amount of innovations in technology, lessons in urban development, and sustainable construction capacity.

Read full post on Eco-City Notes

Monique Abud

Centre d'études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine, EHESS, Paris, France

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