China News: Clean air measures of Olympics to be used for APEC (9 April 2014)

Clean air measures of Olympics to be used for APEC

A comprehensive pollution-control plan similar to that applied during the 2008 Olympics will be launched for the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting to be held in Beijing's Huairou district this autumn, the Beijing News reported on Tuesday.

A comprehensive pollution-control plan similar to that applied during the 2008 Olympics will be launched for the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting to be held in Beijing's Huairou district this autumn.

The air in Beijing during the 2008 Olympics was cleaner than the previous year's, due to aggressive efforts by policymakers to curtail traffic, increase emission standards and halt construction.

The challenge in curbing air pollution for the APEC meeting will be increased compared to the Olympic Games, which were held during the summer, according to Peng Yingdeng, a member of the urban environment management panel under the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

"Smog is more common in autumn than in other seasons in Beijing, and climate conditions are unfavorable for diffusing pollutants," Peng added.

To control air pollution in an more effective manner, green departments in Beijing and surrounding areas such as Hebei province, Shanxi province and Tianjin city will join hands in setting up an air quality forecasting and early warning platform, according to Zhuang Zhiqiang, vice director of Beijing municipal Environmental Protection Bureau.

An information sharing platform will also be set up for green departments to launch joint law enforcement campaigns against the burning of agriculture residues by farmers and emissions from coal-fired power plants.

A detailed pollution control plan is under development, Zhuang added.

source from: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2014-04/09/content_32038228.htm

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Event: APEC Financial Regulators Training Initiative: Regional Seminar on Enforcement (17-21 March 2014)

APEC Financial Regulators Training Initiative: Regional Seminar on Enforcement

Colombo, Sri Lanka : 17 March 2014 - 21 March 2014

This seminar, hosted by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, is a practical workshop-style involving the policies, procedures and practices for the assessment of allegations, the investigation strategy, scoping, planning and methodology and the interview model. Case studies will be introduced on day 1 and the group will continue to build on these cases throughout the next 4 days of workshops.


Each group will first make an assessment of the allegations to arrive at a set of recommendations for the next course of action from which the group will develop a plan for conducting the investigation and then apply the knowledge gained for conducting interviews of witnesses and suspects using the interview model. Participants will receive practical feedback on each stage of the process.
The seminar will conclude with comparing the enforcement sanctions to assess best practices for regional harmonization. The regional market offers a number of case studies to use on carrying out cross border enforcement activities from which other regulatory agencies can learn from.


source from: http://www.adb.org/news/events/apec-frti-regional-seminar-enforcement

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China News: Yangqi Lake gears up for 2013 APEC summit (27 Nov 2013)

Yanqi Lake gears up for 2014 APEC summit

By Li Jingrong

China.org.cn, November 27, 2013

An intense air pollution control campaign is underway in Beijing in preparation for the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, which will be held by Yanqi Lake in the northern outskirts of the capital.

Yanqi Lake is located at the foot of the Yanshan Mountains in Beiing.

One of the most significant measures is to ban "yellow label vehicles" -- heavy polluting vehicles which do not meet national gas emission standards -- from the roads, the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau announced on its website on Nov. 25.

The natural environment and the APEC summit have drawn world-wide attention. An air pollution control plan announced by the municipal government will be implemented in several steps from the beginning of next year.

The complete elimination of "yellow label vehicles" is a top priority for the heavily-polluted capital, and this program will be accelerated, taking advantage of the high-profile APEC meeting.

As a first step, cars will be prohibited within the 21-square-km Yanqi Lake ecological area and in the Huairou downtown area. Cars with non-Beijing license plates will be prohibited from entering the downtown area during rush hours. By the end of 2014, some 3,630 old motor vehicles will be eliminated and 197 buses using new energy sources will be in operation.

According to the plan, non-coal carbonization will be realized within the 21-square-km Yanqi ecological area. Seven townships have been told to ban a total of 126 coal-fired boilers and cut coal use by 247,078 tons. Five high energy-consumption enterprises will be closed down, and another 14 heavily polluters will have to stop production. Ten enterprises with emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) face punishment.

By the end of 2014, stone and earth-work projects in the Huairou District are expected to use high-efficient washing turbines and dustproof devices. Transportation vehicles carrying dirt with waste residue must be fully-sealed and installed with the global positioning system (GPS) to track their movements.

Zhao Huimin, director general of the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office told a press conference on Oct. 8 that Beijing was making intensified efforts to prepare for the summit. "The measures include population control, motor vehicle volume control, emission control, and closing polluting enterprises."

Yanqi Lake is located at the foot of the Yanshan Mountains, eight kilometers north of Huairou District. The lake, which faces the Great Wall to the north and the North China Plain to the south, is a beautiful scenic green site in the capital.

One international convention center, one boutique hotel and 12 VIP villas are under construction for the APEC Summit in the area, and they are expected to be ready by the end of 2013. The annual APEC event will bring together 21 economic leaders, who will discuss a range of issues with the aim of boosting economic ties.

source from:http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2013-11/27/content_30722164.htm

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Taiwan Update: APEC保護海洋資源國際會議 (13 Oct 2013)

APEC保護海洋資源國際會議

提供單位：行政院環境保護署永續發展室

發布日期：2013.10.13

「第14屆亞太經濟合作(APEC)企業/私人部門參與海洋環境永續性圓桌會議」預定於今年10月14日至15日在臺北舉行，將有汶萊、中國大陸、香港、印尼、日本、韓國、馬來西亞、菲律賓、泰國、美國、越南及我國的專家學者參加，就海洋資源保育議題進行為期2天的討論。         環保署指出，APEC共有21個會員體，捕撈漁獲量占全球75%，養殖漁業產量占全球90%，消耗全球70%魚產品，可見海洋環境及資源保育對於所有會員體的重要性。前(100)年APEC將「海洋資源保育工作小組」與「漁業工作小組」合併，成立新的「海洋與漁業工作小組」，將海洋資源保育與漁業議題整合，透過保護海洋環境與生態系，促進漁業資源永續利用。         我國從民國87年起，每年在APEC組織爭取主辦此項圓桌會議，今年已為第14屆會議。這次會議將討論華盛頓公約今年剛通過5種鯊魚及2種鰏魟的保育與管理以及潔淨海洋等兩大主題，藉由邀集亞太區域內產、官、學、研專家學者及民間團體共同研討，交換資訊與經驗，建立國際溝通平台，共同解決臺灣與區域內海洋資源問題。 source: http://ivy5.epa.gov.tw/enews/fact_Newsdetail.asp?InputTime=1021013210536

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