China Energy Cities

Today was a busy day for A+B International, including important meetings on Topten China with the China Standard Certification Center (with plans to launch the Chinese system in 2007); collaboration with the China National Institute of Standardization on our SEEEM initiative (www.seeem.org), as well to design a CDM program of activities to promote efficient motor systems; and a meeting with Zhou Dadi and Jiang Kejun at the China National Development & Reform Commission's Energy Research Institute (ERI).

We have been collaborating with ERI since 2002 on a number of different items. The main topic of this meeting was application of the "energy cities" concept to China. In pursuit of a "scientific approach to development", China has adopted the unprecedented goal in its 11th Five-Year Plan to reduce energy intensity by 20% in the 2006-10 period. One of the biggest challenges is translating this Central Government policy into effective action at the local level.

Back in the late '80s, Conrad spearheaded the "Swiss Energy Cities" program, which eventually expanded to Europe (under the title of "European Energy Award"). Currently, there are 128 Energy Cities in Switzerland (home to nearly 1/3 of the total Swiss population). These cities have adopted - or already implemented - a package of energy policy measures, and the success of their implementation is compared with other participating cities. This system not only provides much needed know-how to municipal governments; it also provides a positive incentive for them to implement effective policy measures, based on measurable indicators.

We are now investigating the utility of this system in the Chinese context - a very exciting project. We hope that Jiang will get a visa to visit Switzerland in November, so that we can let him meet with some Swiss city officials in Swiss Energy Cities.

It was wonderful for me to see the energy gurus of China (Zhou Dadi) and Switzerland (Conrad Brunner) brainstorming at the white board!