Global Business Leaders, Policy Makers, and NGOs Convene to Catalyze
Partnerships and Kick Start Plans to Drive China's Greentech Market
Landmark Two-day Conference Highlights the Power of Collaboration to Advance
Sustainable Solutions in China
SHANGHAI, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- More than 100 global thought
leaders on sustainability convened today in Shanghai to develop an action plan
to drive China's greentech market forward. Greentech: A Call to Action is
based on market-defining analysis and unprecedented US-China collaborative
programs. The conference provides a roadmap to move from agreements and
discussions to actionable greentech solutions.
Organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham
Shanghai) and the Asia Society Northern California, Greentech: A Call to Action is a
platform for executive and government decision makers to collaborate and drive
US-China cooperation, which is essential to the development of a greentech
market and a sustainable future. The conference has attracted international
executives including Mark Norbom, President & CEO of GE China, Dr. Shi
Zhengrong, Chairman & CEO of Suntech, and David C. Wang, President of Boeing
China and political leaders from China and the U.S. including Fu Zhihuan,
Chairman, Finance Committee, 10th National People's Congress and U.S. Senator
Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chairwoman of the Senate Subcommittee on Energy.
"As two of the world's largest economies, as well as the world's largest
importers of oil, consumers of coal and emitters of greenhouse gases, the U.S.
and China have the potential to become world leaders in developing and
deploying green technologies," said Brenda Foster, president of AmCham
Shanghai. "The private sector, working closely with government, will play a
key role in defining this market."
A primary goal of Greentech: A Call to Action is to overcome impediments
that have prevented the U.S. and China from working together in a truly joint
partnership. Bruce Pickering, Executive Director of the Asia Society Northern
California said, "As in so many other areas, the relationship between the
United States and China will be crucial to tackling the problems of
sustainability and climate change. If we deal with these issues in a positive
and constructive fashion, we can begin to chip away at what will likely be the
critical issue of the 21st century. We really don't want to contemplate any
other outcome."
The conference highlights the power of collaboration and multi-lateral
cooperation bringing together organizations committed to advancing
sustainability and developing the greentech market. The US-China Clean Energy
Forum, sponsor of 8 Initiatives designed to transform the energy systems of
the U.S. and China, provides the conference with established
bi-lateral cooperative programs. The China Greentech Initiative provides
market-defining insights from the China Greentech Report, the Initiative's
first deliverable to be launched on September 10th at the World Economic Forum
meeting in Dalian, China. Both organizations are presenting partners at the
conference, along with PricewaterhouseCoopers, which has provided the
conference thought leadership and industry-focused expertise, and is also a
founding partner of the Greentech Initiative.
Kicking off day one of the two-day conference, Chairman Fu Zhihuan and
Senator Cantwell joined Han Wenke, Director General of the Energy Research
Institute of the NDRC, and Stanley H. Barer, Co-Chairman of the US-China Clean
Energy Forum, in a signing ceremony for the Clean Energy Forum's 8 Initiatives
for U.S. Clean Energy Cooperation.
"US-China collaboration is absolutely essential. This is not about
adopting any particular form of technology, but rather creating an ongoing
dialogue of leaders from the two countries focused on removing impediments and
facilitating cooperation," stated Stanley Barer, "The 8 Initiatives provide a
roadmap for the way forward."
United through the China Greentech Initiative, leaders from Beijing
Shougang, BP, Cisco Systems, Corning, Climate Change Capital, GE, Owens
Corning, Hitachi, IBM, Philips, Shui On Land, Suntech, Volkswagen and dozens
more focused on What's Hot, What's Not and Why during greentech market sector
roundtables. Topics covered in the roundtables were based on the Initiatives'
nine-month open source collaboration project and designed around an analysis
of seven market sectors.
"We examined 125 greentech solutions, both existing and emerging, across
seven sectors providing a view of the solution's potential environmental
impact as well as total commercialization opportunity," said Ellen G.
Carberry,
co-founder of the China Greentech Initiative.
"The report is the result of hundreds of industry experts through 21
in-depth working sessions. It is a tangible example of the power of
collaboration to drive the greentech market forward," commented Randall S.
Hancock, co-founder of the China Greentech Initiative.
On Tuesday, the Conference will host Catalyst Sessions with topics drawn
from the US-China Clean Energy Forum's 8 Initiatives. Each session will be
moderated by a partner from PricewaterhouseCoopers. Topics will include Solar
Technologies, Electric Vehicles, Advanced Coal and Sustainable Biofuels.
Results from the Catalyst Sessions will define focus areas for collaboration
and 'catalyze' market action moving forward. "Collaboration is a core value at
PricewaterhouseCoopers. It is exciting to see the active adoption of this
approach by the China Greentech Initiative, the US-China Clean Energy Forum
and here at the Greentech: A Call to Action conference," commented Ruth
Dobson,
Advisory Partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers, "The Catalyst Sessions provide
another excellent opportunity for key market leaders to work together to move
towards tangible market-based plans for particular greentech markets both in
China and the US."
Results of the Sector Roundtables and Catalyst Sessions will be documented
and content will be made publicly available after the conference at
http://www.amcham-shanghai.org/Greentech . This content will form the basis
for a series of action plans and a platform to develop strategies that will
accelerate the greentech market and help advance the agenda at follow-up
conferences starting later this year.
The digital press kit of the conference is available at
http://www.amcham-shanghai.org/greentech .
About AmCham Shanghai:
The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, known as the "Voice of
American Business" in China, is the largest and fastest growing American
Chamber in the Asia Pacific region. Founded in 1915, AmCham Shanghai was the
third American Chamber established outside the United States. As a non-profit,
non-partisan business organization, AmCham Shanghai is committed to the
principals of free trade, open markets, private enterprise and the
unrestricted flow of information.
Visit http://www.amcham-shanghai.org for more information about AmCham
Shanghai.
About the Asia Society: Preparing Asians and Americans for a shared
future.
Asia Society is the leading global organization working to strengthen
relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders, and
institutions of Asia and the United States. We seek to enhance dialogue,
encourage creative expression, and generate new ideas across the fields of
policy, business, education, arts, and culture.
About the China Greentech Initiative:
The China Greentech Initiative (CGTI) is an open source, commercial
collaboration of over 80 of the world's leading technology and service
companies, entrepreneurs, investors, NGOs and policy advisors. Through the
Initiative, these organizations have come together to define greentech market
opportunities and solutions, which will contribute to building a sustainable
China and world. The organization was founded in 2008 by Ellen G. Carberry and
Randall S. Hancock and is produced by MangoStrategy, LLC.
About PricewaterhouseCoopers:
PricewaterhouseCoopers provides industry-focused assurance, tax and
advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and
their stakeholders. More than 155,000 people in 153 countries across our
network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh
perspectives and practical advice. "PricewaterhouseCoopers" refers to the
network of member firms of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each
of which is a separate and independent legal entity.
SOURCE AmCham Shanghai
AmCham Shanghai: David Basmajian, avid.basmajian@amchamshanghai.org,
+86-21-6279-7119, or Asia Society: Robert Bullock, rbullock@asiasociety.org,
or China Greentech Initiative: Craig Adams, craig.adams@china-greentech.com,
+86-139-1109-7001, or PricewaterhouseCoopers: Elsie Chen,
elsie.y.chen@cn.pwc.com, +86-21-2323-888, or US-China Clean Energy Forum: Xu
Wei, wei.xu@cleanenergyforum.org
