China-Canada Cooperation Project in Cleaner Production
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Project Description |
Following the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development, China was the first country to prepare a 15-year program for sustainable development: Agenda 21. In 1994 Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Environmental Trade and China's Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation signed a letter of intent offering to develop three projects in Agenda 21's Priority Program.
One of the projects, the China - Canada Cooperation Project in Cleaner Production was developed in 1995. Its goal is to promote environmentally sustainable development in China by enhancing its capacity to manage its environment.
The purposes of the Project are to assist China in implementing Cleaner Production (CP) in priority industrial sectors consistent with China's Priority Program for Agenda 21 by:
a) strengthening the institutional capacity of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) (formerly the State Economic and Trade Commission or SETC) and the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) to promote implementation of Cleaner Production in priority industrial sectors in China; and
b) supporting government agencies, industries and enterprises in the application of CP in priority sectors; and to foster cooperation between Chinese and Canadian counterparts.
This five-year project, originating in early 1997, consists of four major components:
Component 100: Policies and Regulations for CP Implementation
This component will focus on industrial pollution prevention from source rather than end-of-pipe control. Policies and regulations will be based on applied studies at the operational policy and regulatory framework level, and will incorporate practical measures to encourage CP adoption. The studies will build on policy initiatives currently underway, and will take into account China's transition to a market-based economy.
Based on these applied studies, a proposition for promoting the implementation of CP activities will be prepared and submitted to the central government for approval. The resulting proposition will emphasize models and processes of production that lead to CP, and incentives for CP adoption through policies and programs in the areas of investment, taxation, finance, trade, and technology development. Management systems for CP will be defined, to include organizational and accountability structures; and criteria to evaluate CP in enterprises will be developed.
Component 200: CP Development Plan for Priority Sectors
This component will comprise three elements: CP guidelines for enterprises, CP solutions for four sectors (pulp and paper, fertilizer, fermentation and nitrobenzene/nitrophenol), and CP implementation in a pulp and paper enterprise and a fertilizer enterprise.
The project's focus includes the Huai River Basin that passes through large population and diversified manufacturing centres in Anhui Province.
CP guidelines for enterprises will provide source materials and information for enterprises interested in adopting CP. Guidelines - both generic and sector-specific - will be developed drawing heavily on current work in China, Canada, and other selected developed countries and international organizations, such as United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and United Nationals Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); and will address methods, procedures, incentives, management and monitoring for CP. The development of guidelines will provide an opportunity to link Canadian practice and technology to Chinese industrial needs, and to foster dialogue between the Canadian private sector and Chinese industry. The guidelines for enterprises will be site tested and modified before being finalized and shared.
CP solutions will be developed that will involve an assessment of the source, nature and quantity of the industrial emissions; the identification and selection of cost-effective CP options including technologies; development of inventories of solutions for the Light Industry and Chemical Industry; rationalization of needs, priorities, CP options and CP activities; and assessment of the need for foreign expertise and equipment.
CP implementation in the selected enterprises will introduce, demonstrate, transfer and disseminate CP practices and technologies to enterprises, with an emphasis on low-cost and optimal cost/benefit solutions. The implementation process will require a CP audit, the selection of CP options, and implementation of options. The process will match CP practices and technologies with enterprise needs. These enterprises will be used as models for the replication of CP implementation in other enterprises in the geographical area.
Component 300: Training and Awareness Raising
CP training and awareness raising will highlight the importance of CP, particularly among managers in industry and government, technicians, professionals and other decision makers; and will provide them with the skills and knowledge necessary to implement CP. The focus will be primarily on the priority sectors and industry at the local level in selected geographical area. Training and awareness raising will be accomplished through short courses, work placement, study tours, seminars, workshops and conferences.
Component 400: CP Information Systems
A CP information system will provide inputs to and retrieval of Project-related CP information. The System will facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience among Chinese and Canadian counterparts and others involved in CP globally, with opportunities to both access and contribute to existing CP databases. In particular, the transfer of technologies and practices between Chinese and Canadian enterprises will be promoted through the CP information system. (See Slideshow: Using Information Technology to Achieve Local Ownership and Sustainable Development)
Canada’s foreign policy identifies the equal participation of women as one of its six priorities for development assistance. The goal of CIDA’s Gender Equality Policy is "to support the achievement of equality between women and men to ensure sustainable development". It requires that gender equality be an integral part of all CIDA policies, programs and projects.
The project will include special efforts to ensure that women participate in all training programs and that their roles and contributions in production decision-making are strengthened. (See Gender Equality Strategy )
The project achieved and even exceeded its original expected outputs, and in 2001, CIDA approved a four-year extension to the project, at the request of the Chinese government. The purpose of this extension is to implement CP in sectors having a significant impact in Western China and to provide assistance in the implementation of the CP Promotion Law after it is passed towards the end of 2002. (See Project Work Plans and Implementation)
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ŠNDRC 2000-2006