Society
New book chronicles China's green movement
By Fu Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-10 07:40
China's first bilingual collection on climate change and environment protection, a joint effort of China Daily journalists and columnists, has been published this week in conjunction with the Copenhagen summit.
Published by Beijing-based New World Press, Evolution of Green China: Charting the Challenging Course from Beijing to Copenhagen is an anthology of articles published over the last several years about China's ongoing countermeasures to combat climate change and its energy-use and emission-control efforts.
These articles monitor not only the changes drafted by government officials and their climate and energy consultants but also those emerging from the bottom up. They also tell of grassroots campaigns, and feature the voices of entrepreneurs, social movements, scientists and independent researchers - and those of the China Daily writers and editors.
The books will be sent to Copenhagen next week to environmentalists and policy makers who are debating the global topics.
"This book chronicles the country's initial progress as the world's most rapidly developing economy and its ambition to shoulder greater responsibilities in the post-Kyoto era," Zhu Ling, China Daily editor-in-chief said.
"This book is not an alibi for China's foibles," said Zhu. "It is constantly stated at global climate forums that China is the world's largest emitter - a fact repeatedly put forth for many purposes, including the shirking of one's own responsibilities."
Zhu said it is his paper's responsibility to look at the responsibility China has already shouldered and what it should do in a fair and balanced approach.
In the book's foreword, Achim Steiner, UN Under Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Program, said "the efforts China has made toward curbing greenhouse gas emissions and China Daily's publishing Evolution of Green China are of tremendous importance."
Chi Fulin, Professor and President of China Institute for Development and Reform, said China is shifting to a low-carbon era. While keeping close eye on development of climate politics, China, as a rising power, should fulfill our global responsibility in such a historic stage. "I am delighted that the writers have enormously explained the points in the collection," he said.
Zhou Xun, UNDP Goodwill Ambassadoraward-winning actress, said, "We share environmental responsibility and we should act together. This is the timely message Evolution of Green China has sent."
Bertrand Moingeon, professor of Strategic Management and Deputy Dean of HEC Paris School of Management, said, "One of China's competitive advantages is its capacity to mobilize resources toward achieving goals, as we see with green issues presented in this book."
(China Daily 12/10/2009 page10)
