Partnering to Build Up Environmental Awareness in China

Partnering to Build Up Environmental Awareness in China

September 29, 2006

UNDP Teams Up With Norway to Promote Environmental Protection, Awareness and Biodiversity

    BEIJING, Sept. 29 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and Government of Norway
announced a new partnership today in Beijing to support
China in its objectives to promote environmental
protection, awareness and biodiversity. 

    This US$1 million partnership framework signed today
between the Royal Norwegian Embassy and UNDP in China is
designed to raise awareness and build knowledge of policy
makers and the general public on environmental challenges
facing China through strengthening two of UNDP's ongoing
programmes with the State Environmental Protection
Administration (SEPA) -- the China Environmental Awareness
Programme (CEAP) and the EU-China Biodiversity Programme
(ECBP). 

    "Effective implementation of environmental
management and conservation programmes depends on
education, awareness raising and training in the relevant
areas," said Alessandra Tisot, UNDP Senior Deputy
Resident Representative in China while speaking at the
ceremony.  

    "Without an understanding of how to conserve their
natural resources, or indeed, why they must do so, few
people and communities would be motivated to take actions
to curb environment degradation.  That's why Norway's
contribution is very crucial and timely."

    Signed in June with a total fund of $US3.5 million, the
CEAP is expected to raise the public's awareness of the
environmental challenges facing China and to convert the
knowledge into a change in behavior, attitude and practice
towards environmental protection.  Under this initiative, a
high-profile national and local awareness campaigns will be
conducted, targeting the youth, rural and urban residents
and communities. 

    According to Tisot, the campaigns will consist of
public service announcements, films, TV shows,
documentaries, events/performances as well as goodwill
ambassadors to help disseminate information through TV,
print, radio, internet and mobile telephones.

    The signing marked the continuation of a strong
partnership between the Royal Norwegian Embassy and UNDP in
the area of energy and environment, having previously
collaborated on climate change and Clean Development
Mechanism initiatives.  Under the CEAP, a portion of the
new contributions will lead to a series of public service
announcements on the environment which will be disseminated
leading upto and during for the 2008 Beijing
"Green" Olympics. 

    On her official visit to China the Norwegian Minister
of Environment Ms. Helen Oddveig Bjornoy participated in
the signing ceremony, she said that: "Environmental
awareness and public participation plays a crucial role in
environmental policy and in order to achieve environmental
objectives.  I am very happy that the good cooperation
established between Norway and UNDP in China now also cover
this important area." 

    Norway's funding, as part of the ECBP, will also
support the process of updating the China Biodiversity
Action Plan formulated in 1994 while also promoting
awareness raising activities through multi-stakeholder
dialogue with the surrounding communities of the project
sites.

    With a budget of over US$57 million, ECBP represents a
significant investment into conserving China's
biodiversity.  It will fund on-the-ground "Field
Projects" that will test innovative and replicable
mechanisms for biodiversity management, policy
implementation, and the establishment of wide-ranging
partnerships between international, national, and local
governmental and non-governmental agencies. 

    UNDP fosters human development to empower women and men
to build better lives in China.  As the UN's development
network, UNDP draws on a world of experience to assist
China in developing its own solutions to the country's
development challenges.  Through partnerships and
innovation, UNDP works to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals and an equitable Xiao Kang society by
reducing poverty, strengthening the rule of law, promoting
environmental sustainability, and fighting HIV/AIDS. 
http://www.undp.org.cn

    For more information, please contact:

    UNDP China: 
     Ms. Zhang Wei, 
     Communications Officer, 
     UNDP in China
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

    Royal Norwegian Embassy: 
     Ms. Tone Helene Aarvik
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

SOURCE  United Nations Development Programme; Royal
Norwegian Embassy