Eighteen development zones and scenic spots across the country
are being used to demonstrate how both environmental and economic
development needs can be met simultaneously.
At a two-day forum that opened on Thursday in Haikou, Hainan
Province, State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA)
Vice Minister Wang Yuqing called on environmental authorities
nationwide to continue their efforts to promote ISO14000 certified
demonstration areas.
The special zones show that economic development and
environmental protection can be achieved at the same time,
officials at the forum said.
The International Organization of Standardization established
the ISO14000 standards in 1996 to help enterprises and
organizations implement and improve their environmental management
systems. China introduced the standards immediately.
In 1999, SEPA started to approve the building of ISO14000
demonstration areas with support from the ministries of science and
technology and construction and the former Ministry of Foreign
Trade and Economic Cooperation.
To date, nine economic development zones, five high-tech
development zones and four scenic spots have been approved as
national demonstration areas.
Wang said that building the areas helps to introduce
internationally advanced environmental management concepts while
pushing the sustainable development of regional economies.
According to Yin Gai, head of SEPA's Science, Technology and
Standards Department, the 14 economic and high-tech development
zones approved as demonstration areas contributed a combined 281.8
billion yuan (US$34.0 billion) to GDP last year.
GDP in such zones has been growing an average of 20 percent per
annum in the past three years, far faster than normal local levels
and often while consuming far less energy.
For example, the Wuxi High-tech Zone in east China's Jiangsu
Province has contributed one-eighth of the Wuxi's economic
output in the past three years, while its electricity consumption
was only one-twentieth of city's total.
The improvements to the environment in the demonstration areas
attract many investors while also satisfying the requirements of
ISO14000 certification.
(China Daily November 26, 2004)