3. Adhering to the basic state policy of conserving resources and protecting the environment, and promoting the work to address climate change

Climate change is a major challenge facing the whole of humankind. It is attracting increasing attention from countries around the world, and cooperation among the international community is needed to address it. Intensifying our efforts to address climate change is an inherent requirement for developing scientifically and for raising our ability to develop sustainably. There is widespread concern among NPC deputies and Standing Committee members on this issue. The Standing Committee further intensified its work in this area by passing a special resolution, hearing and deliberating special work reports, amending relevant laws, and participating in international cooperation.

In light of the new situation and requirements resulting from the need to respond to climate change, and on the basis of suggestions put forward by the Environment and Resources Protection Committee when it dealt with NPC deputies' proposals, the Standing Committee added two items to the agenda of its August meeting. One was to hear and deliberate the State Council's report on addressing climate change, and the other was for the NPC Standing Committee to pass a resolution on addressing climate change. These were important measures taken by the Standing Committee to respond to climate change. Members of the Standing Committee believe that China is a large responsible country that has always paid close attention to the problem of climate change and made enormous efforts to tackle it. China considers conserving resources and protecting the environment to be its basic state policies, and has made achieving sustainable development a national strategy. It has formulated laws and regulations pertaining to all areas affecting climate change, and adopted and implemented the National Climate Change Program. It has made conserving energy, reducing emissions, and increasing forest coverage binding targets in the national long- and medium-term development plan. It has adopted other related policies and measures, and made a positive contribution to slowing and responding to climate change. The Standing Committee's resolution further clarified the guiding thoughts, basic principles, and required measures of China's response to climate change; reiterated its principled stand that it will actively participate in international cooperation to address climate change; and emphasized the need to adhere to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. The resolution also stated that with a high sense of responsibility to the survival and long-term development of humankind, China is willing to work with the international community to promote complete, effective, and continuous implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol and make new contributions to address climate change. Before this, at its April meeting, the Standing Committee heard and deliberated the State Council's report on its progress in preventing and controlling air pollution, and demanded the State Council make accelerating economic restructuring and transformation of the pattern of economic development the fundamental policy for improving air quality, and ensure that the targets for reducing major air pollutants set forth in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan are reached. Last November the State Council called an executive conference to study and make arrangements for addressing climate change. At the conference, the State Council stated that it would decrease carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 40-45% from the 2005 level, raise the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 15%, and increase forest coverage by 40 million hectares and forest stock volume by 1.3 billion cubic meters over 2005 by 2020. In addition, the State Council stated it would incorporate these figures into China's long- and medium-term plan for national economic and social development as binding targets. All this was widely acclaimed in the international community, especially in developing countries.

The Standing Committee also intensified its legislative work for a green economy and a low-carbon economy in order to address climate change. On the basis of bills submitted by NPC deputies, the Standing Committee promptly revised the Law on Renewable Energy on the basis of an in-depth review of practical experience and extensive consultation with relevant parties. The revised law has further clarified the main content and principles for formulating plans for developing and using renewable energy; improved systems for drawing up, examining, approving, and filing such plans; created a national system based on law to guarantee the purchase of all electricity generated from renewable energy, a mechanism to compensate power grid operators who purchase such electricity, and a national fund for developing renewable energy. The revised law also requires power grid operators to increase their capacity for absorbing electricity generated from renewable energy. All this is of great significance for promoting sound and rapid development of China's renewable energy industry, adjusting its energy structure, and intensifying the development of a resource-conserving and environmentally friendly society.

We attach great importance to international exchanges and cooperation in addressing climate change and have made them an important component of the NPC's foreign relations work. During various types of occasions, such as receiving foreign visitors, visiting other countries on invitation, and hosting or attending international meetings, we have adopted a variety of means to widely publicize China's principled stand, policies, and measures, and give detailed accounts of the tremendous efforts we have made and the positive results we have achieved in fighting climate change. We worked hard to promote pragmatic cooperation in the areas of the low-carbon economy, renewable energy, and clean energy, established close communication and coordination with international parliamentary organizations and with national congresses or parliaments of other countries, deepened mutual understanding, increased cooperation and consensus, and promoted an atmosphere of cooperation in which all countries join hands in fighting global climate change.