"The trend towards environmentally sound low-carbon economic development offers new growth and prosperity opportunities for industrialised countries, emerging economies and developing countries. We must therefore consistently promote this trend on a global scale. China and Germany play a very important role here", said Katherina Reiche, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for the Environment at a conference today (Tuesday) in Berlin. She commended the comprehensive efforts already undertaken by Germany and China. For several years the two countries have been committed to an intensive strategic environment dialogue.
At the conference entitled "Low carbon economic development and beyond: Cooperation areas for a Green Economy" German and Chinese government and research representatives discussed strategies for sustainable economic development. A special focus was on sustainable and low-carbon economic development initiatives and on innovative industrial processes, in particular in closed cycle and water management.
Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao had agreed in Beijing in July 2010 to continue and to further expand the very successful Sino-German environment cooperation.
The conference organised by the Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Adelphi was supported by the German Environment Ministry within the framework of the International Climate Initiative.