China Programme • Volume 1 • Number 1 • October 2007
ICTSD in China: Partnerships in pursuit of sustainable development
China is a key determinant of the global trade dynamic, and also of the future fate of the global environment. ICTSD is working with a wide range of experts and other players in China and elsewhere to address key challenges, taking a multi-stakeholder approach to find new and innovative solutions.
Dialogue raises issues related to climate policy, competitiveness
At the end of September, ICTSD organised an international dialogue in Shanghai on the topic of “Trade, Climate Change and Global Competitiveness: Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable Development in China.” The meeting was held in collaboration with the Chinese Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission, the Policy Research Centre of the State Administration of Environmental Protection, and the British Consulate General in Shanghai. It was also co-organised with a media partner, the “Global Business,” the flagship financial journal of Tom Co.
The meeting covered climate change policies, technological development and China’s likely role in a future climate change regime (post-Kyoto). Participants considered the possible relocation of energy-intensive industries from OECD countries to China, and the potential for “carbon leakage.” They asked whether global climate change policies were driving positive developments in global competitiveness and looked at the impact of energy efficiency standards on China’s export industry.
Finally, the meeting considered the role of technological development and technology transfer, asking whether intellectual property rights regimes have created barriers to the diffusion and access to clean energy technologies in China. They discussed the merit of IPR flexibilities to facilitate access to clean energy technologies.
The discussion will continue at an event in Geneva on 4 October – co-organised by ICTSD, UNEP and the World Bank – which will cover trade, climate change and competitiveness issues, including perspectives from China.
Identifying environmental goods and services
At the end of September, ICTSD partnered with the Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy of the Chinese State Environmental Protection Administration to organise a national workshop on environmental goods and services (EGS). The purpose of the workshop was to support the identification of EGS of specific interest to China, based on its sustainable development needs and priorities. The workshop took place in Dalian city.
Coming up: Geneva-based dialogue on China and global trade governance
Coming up shortly is a Geneva-based dialogue on the role of China in global trade governance, focusing on opportunities and challenges for sustainable development. The dialogue will take place at the end of October, close to the sixth anniversary of China’s WTO membership. The objectives of the ICTSD high-level dialogue are threefold: First, it will review the evolution of the global trade landscape, including the development of production trends and south-south trade over the past two decades, and China’s growth and trade performance vis-à-vis challenges and opportunities posed by sustainable development.
Second, the meeting will bring together top policy researchers and practitioners from China and its trade partners, allowing a meeting of the minds around issues related to China’s impact on the global trade landscape. Third, the dialogue will seek to generate ideas for a supportive role that China can play in crafting global trade governance for a common future centred around sustainable development.