China Eco Expo To Be Held In Beijing
by Leonora Oppenheim, London, UK on 04.21.06
While many express doom and gloom about the environmental impact of China’s economic boom there are rays of lights piercing through the polluted clouds. As Jacob reported last week the Chinese government are taking drastic measures to try and clean up Beijing in the run up to the 2008 Olympics. Now we have news of a China Eco Expo, which will be held in Beijing at the end of November. The Eco Expo Group have joined forces with The China Society for Environmental Science to hold ‘a high level conference and trade show dedicated to the technologies products and programs for a sustainable society.’ A special feature of China Eco Expo will be a preview of the ‘ground breaking strategies and technologies being used in China’s “Green Olympics”, including an entire “sustainable village”.’
This conference is the first to be held in China that is specifically intended to feature international expertise and products. The Eco Expo Group tell us that the environmental industry in China is ‘growing at 20% a year. The new Chinese five year plan makes sustainable development the official policy of the government and calls for an investment of more than $100 billion in the environment.’ Therefore this conference ‘represents an historic opportunity for international companies to get in on the ground floor of the world’s largest, most exciting environmental market and for world class experts to share needed knowledge.’ The China Eco Expo will be held at the Beijing International Convention Center, November 28-30, 2006. Thanks to Remy C for the tip. :: China Eco Expo
I think this article could lose it's ironic tone. China is in the difficult position of having booming industrial growth with no eco-infrastructure in place to even attempt to mitigate the effects of this growth. The chinese government and people are far from ignorant about their environmental impact. With very little economic impetus behind sustainable growth in such a manufacturing based economy, I think they should be given much more credit for what they are trying to do. Anyone who condemns china in this light has no appreciation for what's really going on there, nor for where China stands as a developing third world nation who just happens to be a significant global economic force.
I am sorry that an ironic tone was perceived in the reading of this post. It was absolutely not intended, infact quite the reverse. I was trying to convey that important environmental issues are being addressed China and that this is a very positive thing. I was in no way belittling or condeming the Chinese environmental movement.
What I could find so far, that China Eco Expo 2006 "will be held at the end of November", however in April 2007.
So, WHAT and WHEN will happen??