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The 7th GTI Environmental Board Meeting was held on 2 September 2021
2021/10/8 12:04:49 Views:

            

The 7th GTI Environmental Board Meeting was held on 2 September 2021 via video conference. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), People’s Republic of China and organized by the GTI Secretariat. The government officials and experts from the GTI member countries and partner UNESCAP East and North-East Asia office actively reviewed and discussed their insights on addressing environmental issues in Northeast Asia and suggestions for the promotion of GTI environmental cooperation.

 

Participants reviewed the progress and achievements on the environmental protection of each member country, exchanged information and policies mainly on Ecological Environment Conservation and Addressing Climate Change, and shared suggestions on ways forward for NEA regional environmental cooperation.

 

The Secretariat called for active support from all member states to promote the smooth implementation of the previous project "GTI Environmental Cooperation Strategy in Northeast Asia". The participants further exchanged opinions and suggestions on the project proposal “A Study on Management Plan for Water Environment in the Tumen River”, which aims to establish a management plan for water environment in the Tumen River considering climate change.

 

Ms. Cheng Qian, Associate Environmental Affairs Officer, UNESCAP East and North-East Asia office/ Secretariat of North-East Asian Subregional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC) briefly introduced recent activities of NEASPEC in this field and expressed willingness to cooperate with GTI on environmental issues.

 

The 2021-2022 Work Plan was approved by members, and Mongolia accepted the chairmanship for 2022 and affirmed commitment to successfully organize the next Environmental Board Meeting.

 

Annex: Presentations from members on regional environmental cooperation focusing on Ecological Environment Conservation and Addressing Climate Change

 

(China) Mr. Chen Yaxiang (Officer, Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center, MEE) introduced China’s Efforts in Ecological and Environmental Protection and Northeast Asia Environmental Cooperation. He first shared the goals and ideas of ecology and environment towards building a beautiful China, which includes the concept and practices for “Green is Gold”, 14th Five-Year Plan, and Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2035. He then elaborated on the progress and effects of ecological and environmental protection in China, with a trend of constant and steady improvement. China will strive to achieve pollution reduction and the drop in carbon emissions complementing each other, strengthen the environmental protection capacity to facilitate the overall green transformation under ‘30-60 goals’, promote ecological supervision system and keep the boundaries of natural ecological security. He further briefed on the status of China’s environmental quality in the areas of air quality, freshwater, natural ecology and climate change. Lastly, Mr. Chen shared the information on China’s active participation in NEA environmental cooperation via various mechanisms.

 

(Mongolia) Ms. Ariuntuya Dorjsuren (Senior Officer, Department of Climate Change and International Cooperation, Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MOET), Mongolia) shared the current progress in the environment and tourism sector and the priorities for Mongolia in the next 4 years. The Mongolian government has approved its long-term goal VISION 2050, which has 9 fundamental goals, 50 objectives, and three phases: A) 2020-2030, Green technology, Green economy; B) 2031-2040, Basis of Green Development; C) 2041-2050, Sustainable Green Development. During 2020-2024, Mongolia focuses on priorities including promoting low-carbon development, environmental protection, sustainable uses of resources, reduce pollution, increase adequate water supply and living conditions for the population, and promote tourism as a leading sector of the economy. She then illustrated the key implement in the “Green Development Policy” Chapter, which aims to introduce advanced techniques and technologies to reduce environmental pollution and degradation, and to create conditions for citizens to live in a healthy environment. Furthermore, she briefed on recent achievements under the institutional framework of climate change, which are A) National Climate Committee; B) Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Submission to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and; C) Climate Change Research and Cooperation Center. There are also many ongoing projects to deter climate change, including sustainable climate financing, which will be finalized and shared in detail with members in 2022. For the way forward, the focus areas for the next four years of the MOET include promoting renewable energy, climate finance strategy, transparency, financial recourse, climate education and technical capacity in rural areas.

 

(ROK) Ms. Kim Hyemee (Deputy Director, Division of International Cooperation, Ministry of Environment) stated that as this year marks the first year of implementation of the Paris Agreement, Korea has been making stronger efforts to respond to climate change and strengthen international environmental cooperation across the NEA region. Korea is committed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 via various plans of each sector and strengthen adaptive capacity for climate change. The plans include expanding renewable energy and supply of pollution-free vehicles, build up a Circular Economy and achieve biodiversity restoration. She also briefed on Korea’s hosting of the recent P4G Summit and upcoming 4th Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific for global environmental cooperation. Towards the stronger international environmental cooperation, Korea will continue to interact with various countries through cooperation channels and projects, regularly operating working-level meetings or policy dialogue, and signing MOUs, and looks forward to working with member states to strengthen the cooperation in the NEA.

 

(RUS, observer) Ms. Anastasia Grebennikova (Desk Officer, Department for Competition, Energy Efficiency and Ecology, Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation), presented three focus areas of the climate agenda in Russia: A) regulation, where Russia introduced a law on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions limitation, and is planning to carry out regional pilot cap-and-trade systems (Sakhalin); B) low GHG Emission Development Strategy (under development), where Russia will implement various actions including pushing forward energy sector transformations, promoting development opportunities in low GHG emissions sectors and enhancing GHG removals; and C) adaptation planning, on the basis of national Methodological guidance (adopted), Sectoral adaptation plans (2021) and Regional adaptation plans (2022) expected to be adopted step-by-step.