The UK’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown has flown to China on a 3day visit to witness the ways in which China are planning for a more sustainable future. Highlights of his trip will include visiting a new, unopened gas-fired power station, Taiyang Gong, in a residential district of Beijing as well as becoming one of the first VIP visitors to the stadium that will host the 2008 Olympics. He will then travel to Shanghai, to meet students, discuss sustainablility and be shown plans for Dongtan eco-city, which aims to act as a blueprint for future development in the UK, especially in London. The British Prime Minister may find however, that while officials are committed to such positive change, implementation of such vision may be difficult.
China remains a poor, industrialising country and therefore fulfilling the economic needs of today’s population still gains priority over protecting the environment of tomorrow. Two new power stations are reportedly opened every week somewhere in China, with coal being used as two thirds of their energy needs, just adding to their smoke pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
There needs to be a move away from resource driven industries in order to combat much of the environmental deterioration occurring presently.
Interest from Gordon Brown has hopefully opened Chinese response to climate change as a global problem. His trip intends to bring a new vitality to Chinese relations and has ensured him that there is huge opportunity for British business in this nation. During his visit, he has also offered the country £50m from an Environmental Transformation fund to help tackle climate change by improving technological efficiency and increasing the use of clean coal, renewable sources and carbon capture systems. He does not doubt that the Chinese are aware of the impacts they currently pose on the environmental system and strategies like the development of Dongtan, are steps towards a better, cleaner future.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7194864.stm
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