China and the United States are drafting a biofuel agreement
that will likely be signed in December, a visiting US senior energy
official said on Friday. It will focus on sharing knowledge and
technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"We have not concluded a biofuel agreement yet ... we have a
biofuel agreement draft circulating between the United States and
China and we expect progress in the coming weeks," said Alexander
Karsner, US Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy.
"We have concluded an agreement for exchanging expertise,
technical assistance and technology development on energy
efficiency. That agreement is mature and we are now moving to
implementation," he said.
"Through our agreement with China, we hope to transfer this
knowledge and expertise," said Karsner, who met with officials from
the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top
economic planner, on "energy environmental matters".
"We had a very productive, lengthy and engaging dialogue on a
wide range of issues, things of mutual concern like energy markets,
global climate change, price of oil and studies of science and
technology between the two countries," said Karsner of his meeting
with Zhang Guobao, the NDRC deputy head.
"The efficiency of the cooperation, even prior to the
implementation of the protocols, has yielded very good results
already."
Karsner added how to elevate the role of clean energy technology
and accelerate the outcomes and impacts of clean energy technology
in the two countries topped the discussion.
The United States and Brazil, the world's leading ethanol
producers accounting for 70 percent of global production, signed a
memorandum of understanding in March agreeing to forge a strategic
alliance to promote the production and consumption of biofuels
worldwide.
China, the world's third largest ethanol producer, would be the
first Asian country to ink the biofuel agreement with the United
States.
Karsner said the US government had a goal of reducing gasoline
consumption by 20 percent over 10 years.
"In other words, we have a mandated fuel standard of 35 billion
gallons of alternative fuels to be used by 2017."
To cut carbon discharge, China has set targets to boost the
proportion of renewable energy to 16 percent of all energy
consumption by 2020 from the current seven percent level.
"I do not want to prejudge (the biofuel agreement), but I am
confident about that," Karsner said.
(Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2007)
