PAGE CHINA NEWS FOR THE GREEN JOBS WORKING GROUP. NOVEMBER 2021
LEARNING AND SHARING OPPORTUNITIES
ILO Asia-Pacific Green Jobs Network Meeting, 1 December 2021, online
The most recent meeting of the ILO Asia-Pacific Green Jobs Network was held on 1 December 2021. The meeting introduced the Highlights and results from COP26 (annex 1), followed by a panel discussion from representatives of different countries in the Asia Pacific region.
Annex 2: Summary A-P Green Jobs Network_1 Dec 2021
Just Transition Forum 2021: Energy and jobs to power the future, (Online 13-17 December 2021)
The Forum gathers social partners, sector experts, policy makers, academia and civil society to discuss the latest research, knowledge and insights and to share best practices and lessons learned. The Forum will in particular draw on the outcomes from recent major international processes such as the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy as well as the COP26.
WHAT WE'RE READING
China
China, Africa jointly respond to climate change: white paper
2021-11-26 Source: Xinhua
China has signed 15 cooperation agreements with 14 African countries to jointly tackle climate change, according to a white paper published Friday. Various approaches have been explored in support of Africa's response to the issue, such as implementing mitigation and adaptation programs, jointly setting up pilot low- carbon industrial parks, and conducting training in capacity-building, said the document titled "China and Africa in the New Era: A Partnership of Equals."
China vows to soon set up working group with US on climate action
2021-11-25 Source: China Daily
China will strive to promote as soon as possible the establishment of the Working Group on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s with the United States, which is included in a joint communique issued earlier this month, an environmental official said on Thursday.
According to China-US Joint Glasgow Declaration on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s, which was made public during the COP 26 United Nations Climate Conference in the UK, the two sides intend to establish the group and meet regularly to address the climate crisis and advance the multilateral process, focusing on enhancing concrete actions in this decade.
China's renewable energy power capacity at 1b kW
2021-11-22 Source: China Daily
China's installed capacity of renewable energy power generation has reached 1 billion kilowatts by the end of October, which doubled the figure at the end of 2015, the National Energy Administration said on Saturday. It accounts for 43.5 percent of the country's total power installation, 10.2 percentage points higher than that in 2015, it said.
Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics set to become first Olympic Games fully powered by green energy
2021-11-19 Source: People’s Daily
By committing to the mission of hosting a "green, sharing, open and clean" Winter Olympics, Beijing 2022 will be the greenest and cleanest Olympic Games ever. It is the first time in the history of the Olympics that all venues are 100 percent powered by green energy, with the ice-making technology adopted producing zero emissions.
China to introduce targeted re-lending for clean, efficient coal use
2021-11-17 Source: Xinhua
China will put in place targeted re-lending to support the clean and efficient use of coal amid efforts in green and low-carbon development, a State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided on Wednesday. Given China's coal-dominated energy resource endowment, it is important to act in light of the national reality and work hard to make coal use cleaner and more efficient.
China approves plan to digitalize government services
2021-11-17 Source: Xinhua
A State Council executive meeting on Wednesday reviewed and approved a plan to digitalize government services nationwide during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). China will accelerate the construction of a digital government to improve administrative services, according to the meeting, which was chaired by Premier Li Keqiang. Accordingly, the country should create a national digital government network to improve regional and interagency information sharing, and ensure its digital public services cover more sectors and become more accessible, according to the meeting. It also needs to increase the use of digital technologies during major emergency incidents and encourage the digitalization of market regulation, the meeting said.
China doubles down on pollution fight with in-depth efforts
2021-11-10 Source: People’s Daily
China has once again confirmed its consistency in furthering environmental protection efforts, and has shown the determination to take on the hardest issues in combating pollution with more ambitious goals. In a recently issued circular, the country pledged in-depth efforts in the nationwide battle to prevent and control pollution, and detailed major targets for the improvement of its ecological environment, aiming to continuously reduce the total discharge of major pollutants over the coming years. "By 2025, carbon dioxide emissions per unit of the country's GDP will be reduced by 18 percent from the level in 2020," said the circular jointly released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council. The country will also accelerate the low-carbon transition of energy consumption. According to the circular, the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption should increase to around 20 percent during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). The circular also noted measures to improve water quality, control the contamination risk of soil, and protect the ecology and environment. "By 2035, a green way of life and production will have been formed, carbon emissions will stabilize and decline after reaching a peak, and the country's ecological environment will see fundamental improvement," said the circular.
Fourth CIIE puts green, low-carbon development under spotlight
2021-11-10 Source: People’s Daily
“Green” and “low-carbon” have become keywords of the 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE), where new products, technologies, and services that are environmentally friendly, including green energy sources and green and smart home appliances, are easily seen. As an important platform that helps China promote a new round of high-level opening-up, the CIIE has facilitated international cooperation on zero-carbon and green endeavors by taking a series of measures, including carrying out carbon-neutral projects, to set an excellent example of green development. The energy conservation and environmental protection zone of the Intelligent Industry and Information Technology exhibition area of the CIIE has been renamed low-carbon energy and environmental protection technology zone since this year’s expo. So far, many overseas exhibitors have announced their carbon neutrality-related goals and visions and expressed the willingness to actively support the CIIE’s carbon neutrality initiative with practical actions.
China on right road with electric vehicles
2021-11-10 Source: China Daily
Chinese consumers' readiness to switch to electric vehicles will help the government achieve the goal of reducing emissions under its strategy to combat climate change, experts say. China has become the world's biggest market for EVs, accounting for 40.5 percent of the 3.17 million such vehicles sold worldwide last year. The Chinese sales of nearly 1.29 million units in 2020 represented an increase of 8.3 percent year-on-year, according to data from the International Energy Agency.
Lending tool set to accelerate green transition
2021-11-10 Source: China Daily
China's new monetary policy tool will leverage a large amount of cheaper funding to accelerate the economic transition toward a low-carbon, environmentally friendly growth model, experts said on Tuesday. The new monetary policy measure debuted on Monday to increase bank lending to carbon emission reduction projects, according to a statement from the People's Bank of China, the central bank.
EU-China cooperation key to global climate confidence
2021-11-09 Source: China Daily
Last month, a joint EU-China communique was released that contains breakthroughs on key issues, such as tackling global deforestation, greening supply chains, strongly implementing rules for the global biodiversity framework, and new areas of climate cooperation, including transitioning away from coal, phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and reducing non-CO2 emissions, including methane.
Industry-finance cooperation key to green development
2021-11-09 Source: China Daily
The central authorities have issued guidelines aimed at strengthening industry-finance cooperation and promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of industries. The document encourages financial institutions to develop eco-friendly financial products, support the Guangzhou Futures Exchange in establishing a carbon futures market, and standardize the development of carbon emissions reduction financial services. The latest guidelines issued by the four departments will boost industry-finance cooperation for green, low-carbon, high-quality development. To promote the green and low-carbon transformation of traditional industries, funds need to be channelized into green and low-carbon industries, in order to lay a new green industrial foundation for future development. An industry-finance cooperation mechanism should be established that not only focuses on greening the supply side, but also promoting green consumption and making the demand for green and low-carbon products and services mainstream.
China unveils regulation on groundwater management
2021-11-09 Source: Xinhua
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has signed a State Council decree unveiling a regulation on the management of groundwater. The new regulation, which will take effect on Dec. 1, has set out specific rules for groundwater in the areas of survey and planning, conservation and protection, over-exploitation treatment, pollution control, and supervision and management.
Country to 'honor its word' on climate
2021-11-04 Source: China Daily
China's special climate envoy Xie Zhenhua said that Beijing will "honor its word" and peak emissions before 2030, as he encouraged other nations to back up climate targets with detailed action plans. Speaking to media at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, or COP 26, in Glasgow on Tuesday, Xie said that China is already taking concrete action to achieve its ultimate aim to reach net zero emissions before 2060. "We not only make promises, we honor our word," Xie said. "We have already released an action plan for peaking emissions."
China on fast track to cut energy consumption intensity
2021-11-03 Source: Xinhua
China, the world's biggest producer and consumer of energy, is rapidly reducing its energy consumption intensity, as higher energy efficiency will support the country's transition to a modern green economy. China's energy intensity -- energy consumption per unit of GDP -- decreased 28.7 percent from 2011 to 2020, one of the fastest reductions in the world, according to a white paper released Wednesday documenting the country's progress in mitigating climate change. From 2016 to 2020, on average, China fueled an annual expansion in its economy of 5.7 percent, but the growth of its energy consumption only stood at 2.8 percent per year. During that time, the amount of energy saved in the country accounted for about half of the total in the world.
Thailand
PM says Thailand will step up fight against climate change
2021-11-02 Source:: Thaiger
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has vowed to step up Thailand’s focus on tackling climate change. He made this announcement yesterday in Glasgow at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties, also known as the COP26. This convention is a forum in which world leaders can meet and make plans to address relevant climate issues.
Thailand Prepares Its First-Ever Climate Change Legislation
2021-11-25 Source:: Climate Scorecard
A Bangkok Post report from October 21, 2020 discussed the Thailand Government’s recent plan for finalizing the country’s first-ever Climate Change draft bill. In this regard, “the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will submit a draft of the bill to the cabinet for approval by the end of this year.” The Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-Archa noted the necessity of a Climate Change draft in Thailand as it will aid in the country’s efforts to protect the environment as well as drive their economy forward.
Investments in Eco-Friendly BCG on Upward Trend, Thailand BOI Says
2021-12-01 Source:: Thailand Board of Investment
In the first nine months of 2021, the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) has received 128.4 billion baht (ca. USD 3.8 billion) worth of investment applications for environmentally friendly activities classified as Bio- Circular-Green, or BCG, representing a quarter of total new applications, and confirming the acceleration of a trend seen in recent years, BOI said.
Indonesia
COP26: President Jokowi Says Indonesia is Committed to Tackling Climate Change
2021-11-02 Source: Cabinet Secretariate of The Republic of Indonesia
The President of Indonesia stated in his speech at the World Leaders Summit on Climate Change or COP26 that the nation has been continuously contributing to the efforts to tackle climate change. In the AFOLU (agriculture, forestry, and other land use) sector, Indonesia had successfully decreased deforestation rate and promote mangrove forest rehabilitation effort. This sector which originally contributed 60 percent of Indonesia’s emissions, will reach a carbon net sink by 2030. In the energy sector, Indonesia also continues the development of an electric car ecosystem and the construction of the largest solar power plant in Southeast Asia as well as developing and increasing utilization of renewable energy. However, the President said that these efforts are not enough. Indonesia, as a country with large areas of green land and ocean that have the potential to contribute carbon, needs support and contributions from developed countries. He also added that the climate finance with developed country partners is a game changer in mitigation and adaptation to the climate change in developing countries.
Greenpeace Indonesia Criticizes Jokowi's COP26 Climate Speech
2021-11-02 Source: Tempo
Greenpeace Indonesia on Tuesday criticized the speech delivered by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at the World Leaders Summit at the United Nations Climate Change Summit (COP26) in Glasgow. The environmental watchdog argued that the speech itself did not emulate the government’s seriousness, nor did it reflect the ambition to tackle the climate crisis. Greenpeace has openly rebutted several statements conveyed by Jokowi in his COP26 speech. One of which is the claim of dropping deforestation within the last two decades, while the watchdog claimed it had actually grown to 4.8 million hectares annually (2011-2019) from 2.45 million hectares annually (2003-2011). Greenpeace expect that Indonesia can be the role model for developing countries by eliminating the dependency towards dirty energy, realizing zero deforestation, and not dependent on international financing.
COP26 cop-out? Indonesia’s clean energy pledge keeps coal front and center
2021-11-10 Source: Mongabay
In an effort to phase out its coal-fired power plants by the 2040s, as part of a pledge signed at the COP26 climate summit, Indonesia plans to start with decommissioning a quarter of its coal capacity by 2030. While some have welcomed the move, others note that Indonesia’s commitment is so riddled with caveats that it makes the effort essentially “useless” — in particular the fact that the country is on track to add more coal capacity by 2030 than it plans to retire. The government of President Joko Widodo is also betting big on giving the coal industry a second life through coal gasification, a process that yields a cleaner-burning fuel, but which, in producing it, is even more carbon-intensive than just burning coal. Other measures the government is rolling out to keep coal plants burning longer include co-firing, where wood pellets are burned alongside coal, and the use of carbon capture technology criticized as unfeasible at scale.
Finance Minister Details G20 Indonesia 2022 Agenda for Boosting Shared Recovery
2021-11-24 Source: ADB Press Release
Indonesia Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati described Indonesia’s 2022 Group of 20 (G20) presidency priorities for reducing the risk of uneven post-COVID-19 economic recovery and promoting greater sustainable and inclusive growth across Asia and the Pacific and globally. She discussed how the G20 Indonesia 2022 agenda will support economic recovery via measures such as “safe” fiscal stimulus exit strategy, the realization of a more stable and fair international tax system, and improved economic productivity. She said Indonesia will also seek to enhance COVID-19 policy responses and preparedness for future pandemics, narrow digital divides, and facilitate ambitious climate change actions in all countries.
Indonesia court orders government to revise controversial labour law
2021-11-25 Source: Reuters
Indonesia's Constitutional Court on Thursday ordered the government to amend parts of a new job creation law within two years, citing procedural flaws in how the controversial legislation was handled. The law, which was passed last year and saw the revision of more than 70 existing laws, sparked protests across Indonesia and complaints that it undermined labour rights and environmental safeguards. Ruling on Thursday in a judicial review brought by unions, chief judge Anwar Usman said if changes were not made in two years, the legislation would be deemed "permanently unconstitutional".
UN NEWS
Interview: The most impactful actions at COP26 point to progress on climate change
2021-11-22 Source: UN News/ Climate and Environment
Of the many agreements and initiatives announced at the 26th UN Climate Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, the UN Climate Communications Lead at the Department of Global Communications narrowed down the three that she deemed most impactful.
COP26 closes with ‘compromise’ deal on climate, but it’s not enough, says UN chief
2021-11-13 Source: UN News/ Climate and Environment
After extending the COP26 climate negotiations an extra day, nearly 200 countries meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, adopted on Saturday an outcome document that, according to the UN Secretary-General, “reflects the interests, the contradictions, and the state of political will in the world today”.
The outcome document, known as the Glasgow Climate Pact, calls on 197 countries to report their progress towards more climate ambition next year, at COP27, set to take place in Egypt. The outcome also firms up the global agreement to accelerate action on climate this decade.
However, COP26 President Alok Sharma struggled to hold back tears following the announcement of a last- minute change to the pact, by China and India, softening language circulated in an earlier draft about “the phase-out of unabated coal power and of inefficient subsidies for fossil fuels”. As adopted on Saturday, that language was revised to “phase down” coal use.
UN chief welcomes China-US pledge to cooperate on climate action
2021-11-10 Source: UN News/ Climate and Environment
Wednesday’s announcement that China and the United States have agreed to collaborate more closely on climate action was hailed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as an important step in the right direction.
According to press reports, elements of collaboration outlined in the document include regulatory frameworks and environmental standards related to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases in the 2020s policies to encourage decarbonization and electrification of end-use sectors and increased action to control and reduce methane emissions.
In his tweet, António Guterres welcomed the agreement by China and the US to work together to take more ambitious climate action in this decade, and noted that the crisis requires international collaboration and solidarity.
Era free of fossil-fuel powered vehicles comes into focus at COP26; draft outcome is met with calls for more ambition
2021-11-10 Source: UN News/ Climate and Environment
A world where every car, bus and truck sold is electric and affordable, where shipping vessels use only sustainable fuels, and where planes can run on green hydrogen may sound like a sci-fi movie, but here, at COP26, many governments and businesses said they have started to work to make it a reality.
UN system generated 25% fewer greenhouse gas emissions in 2020
2021-11-08 Source: UN News/ Climate and Environment
With significant travel restrictions and large portions of personnel working from home in 2020, the UN system generated approximately 25 per cent fewer greenhouse emissions than in the year before. That’s one of the key points to emerge from the Greening the Blue Report 2021, the first study to reveal the impact that COVID- 19 has had on the UN system’s environmental footprint.
New FAO analysis reveals carbon footprint of agri-food supply chain
2021-11-08 Source: UN News/ Climate and Environment
Food processing, packaging, transport, household consumption and waste disposal are pushing the food supply chain to the top of the greenhouse gas emitters list, according to a new study led by the UN agriculture agency, presented on Monday at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.
The new data finds that 31 per cent of human-caused GHG emissions, originate from the world’s agri-food systems. Meanwhile, an analytical brief emphasizes how supply-chain factors are driving an increase in overall agri-food system GHG emissions and the progressively more important role of food-related discharges away from farmland. The information has important repercussions for national strategies to bring emissions down.
Many countries ‘unsupported and unprepared’ to address climate health risks: WHO
2021-11-08 Source: UN News/ Climate and Environment
Although governments are prioritizing public health measures to protect their people from climate impacts, many lack the funds to take effective action, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a report issued on Monday. The 2021 WHO health and climate change global survey report, which covers 95 countries, found only around a quarter have been able to fully implement national health and climate change plans or strategies. Other major barriers to progress include the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as insufficient human resources.
By 2030, half world’s population will be exposed to flooding, storms, tsunamis
2021-11-04 Source: UN News/ Climate and Environment
By the year 2030, an estimated 50 per cent of the world's population will live in coastal areas which are exposed to flooding, storms and tsunamis. That is why the United Nations has chosen enhancing international cooperation for developing countries, as the theme of this year’s World Tsunami Awareness Day. In a message marking the day, the UN Secretary-General called on all countries, international bodies, and civil society, to increase understanding of the deadly threat, and share innovative approaches to reduce risks.
‘Energy day’ at COP26: Voices call out for an end to use of coal, gas and oil
2021-11-04 Source: UN News/ Climate and Environment
Fittingly, the sun broke through the clouds over Glasgow on Thursday as delegations and participants prepared for ‘energy day’ at COP26, one of the key thematic sessions taking place during the UN climate summit. The main meeting of the day started with the COP26, co-hosts echoing the words of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres: “consign coal to history”. President of the Conference Alok Sharma announced the new Global Clean Power Transition Statement, a commitment to end coal investments, scale up clean power, make a just transition, and phase out coal by the 2030´s in major economies, and in the 2040´s elsewhere. The pledge has 77 signatories, including 46 countries such as Poland, Vietnam and Chile, 23 of which are making commitments on ending coal for the first time, he explained.
ILO welcomes COP26 Just Transition Declaration
2021-11-05 Source: ILO
More than 30 nations, including core coal producing countries, have signed a Declaration committing them to strategies that ensure that workers, businesses and communities are supported as countries transition to greener economies. The Just Transition Declaration, agreed at the UN Climate Change Conference in Scotland, recognizes the need to ensure that no one is left behind in the transition to net zero economies – particularly those working in sectors, cities and regions reliant on carbon-intensive industries and production.
ILO research highlights massive COVID-19 impact on tourism employment in Asia and the Pacific
2021-11-18 Source: ILO
The outsized impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment in the tourism sector in Asia and the Pacific has been confirmed by new research from the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Evidence from five countries where data is available – Brunei Darussalam, Mongolia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam – reveals job losses in tourism-related sectors in 2020 were four times greater than in non-tourism sectors.
Nearly one-third of total job losses were linked to the tourism sector with an estimated 1.6 million tourism- related jobs lost in these five countries alone. With many additional jobs indirectly linked to the sector, the real estimate of tourism-related jobs suffering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region is likely to be much higher.
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More information on PAGE China News for Green Jobs Working Group:
Pei Hongye
pei@iloguest.org
Cristina Martinez
martinezc@ilo.org
Zhang Xubiao
zhangxubiao@ilo.org
Source: https://www.un-page.org/
