Six key issues of global environment and development in 2013
Time：2014/1/10 16:50:45
Beijing (February 28, 2013) - World Resources Institute and the Research Institute of Tsinghua conditions at Tsinghua University organized the "Environment and Development: 2013 global hot spots observed," Executive Vice Chairman of the World Resources Institute Manihi Ba Dean of Tsinghua University and the Institute of Buena conditions, professor at Tsinghua University School of Public Administration, doctoral supervisor, Dr. Hu common vision and global hot topics discussed with the Chinese environment and development.
Early 2013 around the world are showing signs of economic growth. Global middle class is growing, more and more people move to urban living, quality of life for millions of people at an unprecedented speed boost. But while natural resources and climate are facing enormous pressure: 36 consecutive years of global temperature above the normal level, droughts and forest fires around the world frequently, rising sea levels, storms raging arbitrary. In this context, the World Resources Institute's expert on the future trends, the parties conducted a comprehensive speech and data analysis, given the 2013 five key issues of global environment and development:
How will the development of the global energy mix?
Currently more than 1.3 billion people still lack access to electricity, and electricity demand growing global middle class, but increasing. How can meet the energy needs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions? This will determine the world can achieve low-carbon development in the future. This year should focus on the following three kinds of energy: coal, natural gas and renewable energy.
How "African lion" will grow?
From 2001 to 2010, the top ten fastest growing economies in the six from Africa. These countries are called "African lion." But the main driving force for Africa's development is foreign investment, about 43% of foreign investment inflows in extractive industries. However, if the lack of appropriate safeguards and control measures, extractive industries will produce great harm. Whether African countries would improve governance in order to achieve sustainable development?
Forest resources could be a turnaround?
80% of terrestrial biodiversity from the forests, the world has created a $ 720 billion economic benefits. Although the rate of deforestation slowed in some areas, still the world each year 13 million hectares of forest have disappeared. Indonesia and Brazil are the two countries need to focus on a total of 58% of the world's tropical forest loss amount.
Whether the green investment to survive?
The face of global economic uncertainty, many investors turn to short-term investments, and thus "green" investments caused the pressure. Whether investment trends will change, at the same time bring to market risk opportunities for green development? Whether a company will re-evaluate the risk and thus the development of long-term planning? Are the new financial structures and new roles can appear?
Whether Obama will take action to address climate change?
Frequent extreme weather in 2012 to enhance the political will of the United States, but also awakened public awareness of climate change. Can we see the United States to show more leadership in addressing climate change? Public consciousness can be transformed into political pressure? Whether the Obama administration will pay more aggressive efforts on climate change issues?
China's path of ecological civilization which will face the challenges and opportunities?
Under the above-mentioned global context, as the world's most economically dynamic countries, as well as China's largest consumer of carbon emissions a big country, and how to achieve the goal of building their own ecological civilization? In the realization of "five" national climate and energy targets will achieve any progress? Global context for China to achieve goals how opportunities and challenges presented what? These problems are causing widespread concern at home and abroad.
Professor of Public Management, Tsinghua University, doctoral tutor, Dr. Hu believes in his speech, the World Resources Institute's research report, the current understanding in the field of environment and development issues with a positive reference material significance, especially the full implementation of ecological civilization in China the context of the construction strategy for China's policy and intellectual communities provide a very valuable international experience.
He also noted that in the past 200 years the world's industrialized, modern history, China has had the opportunity to have lost three of the industrial revolution. In the 21st century, China for the first time with the United States, European Union, Japan and other developed countries stand on the same starting line, the information in the industrial revolution accelerated, while the fourth official launch and innovative green industrial revolution.
Dr. Hu Angang believes green industrial revolution first goal is to achieve carbon emissions "decoupling," which includes three aspects: First, to promote the existing "black" or "brown" energy "green", that uses energy more low, cleaner use of fossil energy, so that energy consumption per unit of pollution intensity decreased; second is between the use of fossil energy and to promote economic output "decoupling" minimize fossil energy production and consumption in the economy in the proportion of ; The third is to promote non-fossil energy, renewable energy, a significant increase of green energy and promote energy end-use of such dominance. This is bound to accelerate the transformation of the mode of economic development, and promote the development of green, low-carbon development, and promote ecological surplus shift from ecological deficit, creating a new way of green industrial revolution, leading the fourth industrial revolution.
"Global Hot Watch" is organized by the World Resources Institute's flagship event for 10 years, will be held at the beginning of each year in Washington, DC, this is the first time held in China. WRI try convincing insight and data, analyze trends and development direction of the global sustainable development that might occur; observation in science, economics, policy, development, and what factors on the world market in the field of resources, and thus to human society to make an impact?
