APEC Low Carbon Model City Forum Held in Tianjin, China

TIANJIN, China, June 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110627/CN25713)

In November 2010, Chinese president Hu Jintao attended an informal APEC leaders summit in the Japanese city of Yokohama during which he suggested to "increase cooperation in the low carbon model town project as well as promote a greater cooperation in the domains of energy saving and emissions reduction". Following President Hu's speech, China's National Energy Board and Tianjin's Development and Reform Committee co-organized this forum. Topics discussed include the concept and method of low carbon cities, their energy strategies, low carbon technologies and financing as well as government low carbon policies.

During the forum, Yujiapu Financial District was presented with a commemorative plaque of "First APEC Low Carbon Model Town" by the project's work group representatives. APEC member countries' officials, experts and scholars awarded this title to Yujiapu Financial District after conducting a series of studies on its feasability and the respect of the low carbon model town concept. The City of Tianjin also signed a strategic cooperation agreement for the development of low carbon model towns with Japan and China's Shanxi Province, and established a low carbon industrial fund.

China's National Energy Board Deputy Secretary Qian Zhimin attended the forum. In his keynote speech, he outlined the "great efforts made to develop low carbon energy and the joint work accomplished in building better cities". He introduced the process of building low carbon cities in China and the work done in reducing environmental pollution. Mister Qian pledged to develop low carbon energy sources, promote low carbon urban development and low carbon consumption patterns and lifestyles through international exchanges and cooperations. Tianjin Deputy Mayor Yang Dongliang said that his city would follow the APEC Low Carbon Town project's concept to create an environmentally friendly, low carbon, green livable city. During the forum, APEC's experts and scholars had in-depth talks on the problems of low carbon model towns' energy strategy, planning and technologies among others.