UK and China: A growing partnership on sustainable development
25 November 2008
The UK's commitment to an innovative and effective development partnership with China was reaffirmed earlier this month during a visit by Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Mr Benn led
a delegation of senior officials from DEFRA, the Forestry Commission and the
Environment Agency to Beijing from 10-12 November, where a successful third
round of the UK-China Sustainable Development Dialogue (SDD) was held.
The visit was hosted by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC),
China’s most powerful ministry. The NDRC leads on macroeconomic management, sustainable
development and climate change.
Mr Benn and Du Ying, Vice Chairman of the NDRC,
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch the next phase of the
SDD from 2009 to 2011, incorporating a new workstream on
‘Financing for Sustainable Development’.
A MoU was also signed with Sun Zhengcai, China’s Agriculture Minister, to
strengthen cooperation between the two countries on sustainable agriculture and fisheries.
A detailed exchange between Mr Benn and Mr Zhengcai on food security included a
discussion of how the SDD could promote
sustainable agriculture and food security, and tackle international illegal and
unregulated fishing.
The visit also saw the launch of the UK-China Sustainable Agriculture Innovation Network (SAIN), which will focus on soil and crop nutrient management, expanding use of biomass, biogas and organic fertiliser, addressing the interactions between agriculture and climate change, and promoting the agricultural circular economy. Officials agreed to a joint study on minimising the environmental impacts of biomass production and use, and to hold a high-level workshop on agriculture and climate change in China in the second half of 2009.
China and climate change
Chinese Ministers all noted that there was growing awareness within China of the
need to adapt to climate change. They expressed particular concern that Chinese
self-sufficiency in food, and its forest stocks, were particularly threatened.
Sun Zhengcai was keen to collaborate with the UK on farming practices that are
both efficient and reduce emissions. Ministers also agreed to include a new
theme on climate change and forestry within the existing UK-China Forest Action
Plan.
In addition to meetings with the NDRC Chairman and Vice Chairman, Hilary Benn
also held bilateral meetings with the Ministries of Finance, Agriculture and
Forestry. The trip also took in visits to a school involved in the British Council’s ‘Green Your
School’ project, a UK Ashden Award-winning bioenergy company in Beijing’s
Yanqing county, and a Forest Landscape Restoration project in Beijing’s Miyun
county. Mr Benn also gave a speech to over 400 students at China’s leading People’s
University (Renmin University) and met with top Chinese environmental activists.
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