| The 14th Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting Held in Beijing |
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The 14th Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting (TEMM) was held in Beijing on May 4. Mr. Zhou Shengxian, Minister of MEP of China, Japanese Environment Minister Goshi Hosono and Korea Environment Minister Yoo Young-sook heading delegations attended the meeting. They exchanged their views on the latest environment policies of each country and hot environmental issues in the region and the whole world.
When introducing the latest development of environmental policies of China, MEP Minister Zhou Shengxian pointed out, the Chinese Government important arrangements on environmental protection in the following four areas since 2011 in order to open a new situation of environmental protection cause in the "12th Five-Year Plan" period: 1) having released the Suggestions on Strengthening Major Work on Environmental Protection; 2) having adopted and released the National 12th Five-Year Plan for Environmental Protection; 3) having released the newly amended Ambient Air Quality Standard, which includes ozone and PM2.5 as monitoring items; 4) having held the 7th National Conference on Environmental Protection. The milestone achievement of this conference is adhering to environmental protection in the process of development and development in the process of environmental protection and active exploration of new path to environmental protection that is small in cost, good in benefits, low in emission and sustainable in development. 2012 is the year of implementing the spirit of the Seventh National Conference on Environmental Protection, we will do well major activities in the following six areas: First, finish annual task on reduction of major pollutants and achieve 2% reduction of COD discharge, 2% reduction of SO2 emission, 1.5% reduction of ammonia nitrogen and zero growth of NOx emission compared with that of last year. Second, strictly carry out EIA system and further play the role of environmental protection in optimizing economic development. Third, firstly address preeminent environmental problems threatening public health and strengthen prevention and control of the pollution of air, water, soil, heavy metals, POPs and hazardous chemicals. Fourth, facilitate comprehensive prevention and control of water pollution of key river basins and regions and make more efforts in protection of rural environment and ecology. Fifth, strengthen environment law enforcement and environment emergency response, prevent environmental risks and properly handle sudden environmental accidents. Sixth, develop and carry out target and indicator system and examination method for development of ecological civilization and further conduct activities on development of ecological demonstration sites.
Japanese Environment Minister Goshi Hosono and Korea Environment Minister Yoo Young-sook introduced the latest environmental policies of their countries respectively. Japan has put forward the plan for treatment & disposal of disaster waste and relevant countermeasures for special disposal of radioactive pollution. It also introduced the important measures in areas such as facilitating "green" economy and society as well as green innovations. Environmental protection objective of Korea in 2012 is that the whole society will benefit from the achievements of green growth policy. Korea will further improve its environment policies in areas such as improvement of environment health in everyday life, raise environment value of regional and ecosystems and address climate change in a flexible way.
The environment ministers of the three countries also exchanged their views on global and regional environmental issues such as strengthening prevention and control of transboundary movement of e-waste and joint study on treatment of e-waste; promoting the establishment of biodiversity conservation and genetic resource benefit sharing mechanism and facilitating the cooperation of environmental industries of the three countries as well as transfer of advanced environmental technologies. MEP Minister Zhou Shengxian put forward the following three suggestions on environmental cooperation among the three countries: 1) adhering to the policy of "sharing the same fate". Facing increasing global and regional environment problems, no country in the world can pay attention to its own environment without thinking of others with increasing globalization. Only strengthening communications and cooperation and develop into the "Community of destiny" sharing danger, safety and fate can we successfully address challenges and address problems. 2) adhering to the policy of "sharing the benefits". Adhering to the principle of fairness and balanced interests, we should ensure that the three countries do their best, play their proper role and obtain their due interests in environmental cooperation, and jointly facilitate regional harmonious development. 3) adhering to the policy of "joint care". Each country should trust and coordinate each other, respect and care for the concerns of the other sides and properly handle any problem during cooperation through dialogue and friendly negotiation.
At the meeting, environment ministers of the three countries listened to the report on the progress of 10 priority cooperation projects on the environment among China, Japan and Korea; put forward suggestions on development direction of environmental cooperation among the three countries; listened to the achievement report from representatives of students and enterprises; advocated that young people should strengthen green activity; encouraged the three countries to carry out international cooperation projects raising environment service level. The environment ministers have signed Joint Communique of the 14th Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting. The environment ministers of the three countries witnessed the signing of Agreement on Common Certification Rules of Environmental Labels of China, Japan and Korea, Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Certification Procedures and Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Implementation Rules.
At the news conference after the meeting, Zhou Shengxian said, the TEMM has experienced 14-years extraordinary course since the inception in 1999. As a key environmental dialogue and cooperation mechanism in Northeast Asia, the meeting has accumulated much successful experience, produced active influence and effects, greatly facilitated environmental protection work of each country and attracted high attention of the government of the three countries since its establishment. With practical, consultative and cooperative spirit, environmental protection department of the three countries have strived for expansion of cooperation projects and made fruitful achievements.
The Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting aims at implementing the common understanding of the leaders of China, Japan and Korea, exploring and addressing common regional environment problems and facilitating sustainable development of the region. This meeting is held once a year in the three countries in turn. China held the second, fifth, eights and eleventh tripartite environment ministers meetings in 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009 respectively.
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