Energy Efficiency: What does GuangDong have to gain
         Speech by the Foreign Secretary, the Rt. Hon. Margaret Beckett MP

Good morning

It is an honour to be here in Guangdong. The UK used to be called the workshop of the world. I have already seen for myself that this is the new one.

Though I have been to China four times before, this is the first chance I have had to come to this province. But, of course, I have read and read for many years about the amazing economic growth of the Pearl River Delta.

That growth has taken a lot of hard work. But what has always set this region apart is your ability to be ahead of the curve: to anticipate markets and trends rather than react to them. Where Guangdong has gone, others have followed.

I want to talk today about one of the biggest – if not the biggest – trends in the global economy: the growing international trend towards greater energy efficiency.

When I use the word trend, don’t think of this as a passing fashion. We have no choice but to go in this direction and fast.  

 It is an imperative first because of growing concerns in countries across their world over energy security. Using energy more efficiently means that we can cut our reliance on imported hydrocarbons which are increasingly expensive and often from unstable parts of the world. Developing home-grown renewable energy means we can both diversify and secure our energy supplies.

Second it is an imperative because of growing concerns over threats to our climate security. At the moment we all share a dilemma. We want economic growth. But traditionally that growth has been tied to rising energy demand and rising emissions. Those emissions are fuelling the climate change that threatens to undermine all of our economies. Global GDP could be slashed by as much as 20 per cent. Social stability is at risk because of falling crop yields, shrinking farmland and higher food prices.

Here in Guangdong you have as much to lose as anyone. Rising sea-levels, storm surges up the Pearl River Delta, more and more intense typhoons. You will be on the front-line of the impacts of climate change.

Those are some of the reasons, of course, that China has set itself the challenging targets of increasing energy efficiency by 20% and reducing pollutants by 10% by 2010. These are the only mandatory targets within the present 5 Year Programme.

In Europe we agreed a set of binding commitments earlier this year. By 2020, 20 per cent of our energy will be from renewables and we will have increased our energy efficiency by 20 per cent. A small sign of that is what we agreed on lightbulbs – by 2009 you will not be able to buy old-style lightbulbs anywhere in the EU, only energy efficient ones.

So what does a shift in the global economy towards greater energy efficiently mean for business right here in Guangdong Province?

First it is a chance to save money. Use less energy, have lower costs. A simple equation. In California, for example, they estimate that those tough efficiency targets will mean that they will save US43 billion between 2001 and 2013.

Second it is a chance to make money. The International Energy Agency estimates that the world will put up to US$20 trillion into direct energy infrastructure investment between now and 2030. A huge chunk of that money will go into energy efficient and clean energy technologies. Companies that are first to move – first to design, first to patent, first to build brands – stand to dominate that market.

The UK can help you to realise both of those opportunities. Guangdong and the UK have long been trusted and close partners. We have strong links not just in terms of trade but in terms of science too.

The UK has the expertise and the cutting-edge technology that will help Guangdong make the most of the huge new market in low carbon, energy efficient goods and services. And I’ve brought some of it with me today.

First the technology. D1 oil is a manufacturer and supplier of bio-diesel and has years of experience in China. Alstom is a world leader in carbon abatement technologies in the power sector. 

And we can even help with the money. Standard Chartered has become an international pioneer in leading the transition to low carbon: one of the first major banks to apply climate criteria to all its project lending. Climate Change Capital is the world’s first institution to offer a comprehensive range of services in carbon finance. It is also attempting a ground-breaking public-private investment fund that will harness China’s domestic capital and international capital in support of you national energy efficiency targets.

Climate change is an issue of pivotal importance to governments and business alike, and to China and the UK alike. I hope that this seminar will lead to practical suggestions for how we can work more effectively together. 

提高能源效率对广东的意义
英国外交大臣兼内阁议员玛格丽特贝克特

2007年5月19日星期六

早上好

我非常容幸来到广东。英国曾被人称为世界工厂。但今天我在这看到了一个新的世界工厂。

虽然我曾四次到访中国，此次是我第一次来到广东访问。在很多年以前我就看过了很多有关珠江三角洲经济奇迹的报道。

这种经济奇迹与人民的辛勤劳动是分不开的。但能保持这样的增长势头的主要因素是因为当地人民超前的意识，和能够把握市场的发展方向而不仅仅是跟随市场的发展而发展。事实上，广东的发展经验正被很多其它地区所借鉴。

今天我想说的题目是有关目前世界经济当中最重要的一个发展趋势：世界正朝着能源利用效率集约化发展的趋势。

我所说的趋势，不应该被理解成为一种潮流或时尚。我们被迫不得不选择这样的一条道路并且需要朝这个方向加速发展。

因为全球对能源安全问题关注程度的不断提高，现在这一趋势已成为亟待解决的全球性问题。提高能源利用效率意味着我们将不再过分依赖石油进口以满足能源需求。目前石油的价格不断飞涨而且石油主要生产国的局势也不太稳定。立足国内发展可再生能源才能满足能源需求多样化和保障能源供给的安全。

之所以这种趋势成为一种必然选择的另一个原因是因为我们正不断面临气候安全的威胁。其实现在大家都处在一种两难的境地当中。一方面我们希望看到经济的增长，但传统型的经济增长方式需要消耗大量能源和排放大量温室气体。气候变化随之加剧，进而威胁到全人类的经济发展。全球的GDP可能因此削减20％。人类社会也将由于粮食产量下降、耕地减少和粮食价格上涨而陷入动荡。

气候变化同样会给广东带来灾难，比如：海平面上升、珠江三角洲地区越来越多的狂风暴雨天气、越来越频繁的台风现象等。广东将会是气候变化首当其冲的受灾地区之一。

正因如此中国正制定目标在2010年前提高20％的能源利用效率和降低10％的污染物排放量。这是当前五年计划中的强制要求。

欧洲在今年年初也就此问题达成了一致。到2020年我们能源供给中的20％将来自可再生能源，并且我们还将提高20％的能源利用效率。
作为协议中的一个小的方面，我们将在2009年前全面使用节能灯泡。这也将意味着传统灯泡在2009年前将全部推出所有欧盟国家的市场。

那么这种高能效型世界经济趋势对广东省的经济发展将有哪些影响呢？

首先这将意味着节约资金。简单的说来减少对能源的消耗量就等于节省了成本。在美国的加州，当地政府估计如果能够实现能效目标也就相当于在2001年和2013年之中节省了430亿美金。

其次提高能效也意味着赚钱。根据国际能源署估计到2030年，各国对能源基础设施项目的直接投资资金将达到两万亿美金。这样巨额的资金将投资在高能效和清洁能源技术项目上。那些首先采取行动、首先设计、首先申请专利、首先建立品牌形象的企业将成为未来市场的主导。

英国可以帮助广东实现省钱和赚钱的目标。英国与广东相互信任、紧密协作，合作领域并非局限于贸易方面。在科技方面也有广阔前景。
英国有优秀的人才和尖端的技术可以帮助广东赢得巨大的低碳、高能效新兴市场。此次与我一同到访广州的就有这样的英国公司。

首先是科技。D1石油公司是生物柴油的生产和提供商，与中国有多年的生意往来。Alstom在电力行业享有盛誉。他们的技术可以帮助电力行业减少使用含碳的产品。

我们甚至可以提供资金方面的帮助。渣打银行在向低碳型经济转型过程中提供世界领先的金融服务。渣打银行是第一个在信贷过程中考虑气候变化因素的大型商业银行。碳基金是世界上首个提供全方位碳减排金融服务企业。他们正考虑提供全新的公共事业与私营经济联合投资基金，这将有助于将中国和国际投资结合在一起达到中国所制定的国家能耗减排指标。

气候变化对于政府和企业来说同等重要，对于中国和英国来说同等重要。我希望本次研讨会能够为我们找到更有效合作的途径。

滴答网在此感谢英国驻广州总领事馆提供稿件