Italian co-operation to boost clean energy
(XIAO XU)
07/10/2001
China and Italy have agreed to boost their co-operation in new and renewable energy, officials and experts said. To propel the co-operation, the two sides held an International Conference for the Development of Energy Efficiency, New and Renewable Energy, in Beijing yesterday. More than 300 experts, government officials and company representatives from China and Italy attended the conference, which was sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Italian Ministry of the Environment and the Italian Trade Commission. They discussed a wide range of topics such as China's energy situation, policies and regulations on China's development of new and renewable energy during the coming 20 years and international experience in the development of new and renewable energy. Qu Geping, an expert from the Environmental and Resources Protection Committee under the National People's Congress, said China boasts the world's largest energy resource reserve and the world's second largest energy production and consumption rate. But coal constitutes 90 per cent of fuel used at present, Qu said. "It is important that China promotes clean energy because coal-dominated energy consumption poses a serious threat to the environment," he said. However, the construction of new and renewable energy projects demands a lot of money in the initial stages, said Chen Jiagui, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. These projects also have difficulty obtaining bank loans because of policy reasons, Chen said. China needs to learn from the experience of foreign countries, including Italy, on how to promote new and renewable energy resources, such as solar and wind power, he said. Corrado Clini, a director from the Italian Ministry of the Environment, said there is huge potential for the development of renewable energy in China. It is a good investment opportunity for a company choosing to invest in the country's clean energy, he said. Italy is one of China's largest European investors. The country's direct investment in China had reached US$1.7 billion by the end of 1999. However, there are no Italian companies currently investing in China's energy sector. Experts said more and more Italian companies are expected to enter China's clean energy market, following China's accession to the World Trade Organization.
|
