 EU accuses China of wrecking 'green' goods deal Geneva (AFP) Dec 4, 2016 - China has scuppered attempts by world trade heavyweights to eliminate or reduce tariffs on a list of environmentally friendly products, the European Union said on Sunday. A list of around 300 "green" products had been prepared by the US and EU to be presented at WTO talks on Sunday in Geneva for the 18 participants -- including Japan, Australia, South Korea, Singapore and Turkey -- to discuss. But to the surprise of all present, China submitted its own list of products, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said, thus derailing talks. "They took away many of our priorities," Malmstroem, who deplored the Chinese move, told journalists. "The Chinese list had commonalities with the original list but there were lots of differences -- too many to absorb them. "It would have been very helpful if they had engaged earlier in this sort of specifics because, of course, they came out with a list that surprised everybody." Talks on the Environmental Goods Agreement began in July 2014, based on a proposal at the World Economic Forum in Davos six months earlier. But Malmstroem insisted the participants at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks were determined to find a solution. "Everybody said, all delegations said... this is a very important agreement. We are committed to conclude this and we will reinforce our efforts next year," she said. The US-EU list included solar panels, wind turbines and air quality monitors while China's list contained electric bicycles, according to a WTO spokesperson. Over $1,000 billion (940 billion euros) worth of "green" goods are traded every year, according to the WTO.
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In a white paper on economic development, Beijing said one of its main focal points was gaining ground in an environmentally friendly way.
Beijing issued a developmental white paper that outlines the approach to development under the guidance of the Communist Party of China.
"China is committed to the concept of environment-friendly development and strives to expedite the country's ecological progress to deliver a more livable and beautiful environment for the people," it read. "It aims to make a good eco-environment a focal point for improving people's living standards, and create sustainable development that benefits all the people."
The paper states that China has been at the forefront of the effort to infuse environmental protection with state policy, becoming the first country in the world to offer a sustainable development strategy in the 1990s.
China has issued a series of so-called red alerts, the highest level of the country's air-pollution response system, since introducing the metric in 2013. The red alert restricts vehicle, factory and construction activity. Air pollution in parts of the capital has been reported at levels nearly 40 times higher than limits recommended by the World Health Organization.
Coal-based heating and industrial activity in Beijing are key contributors to the air pollution. A five-year plan introduced in early 2016 called for stricter rules on energy conservation and a stronger focus on industries associated with environmental protection.
"Air pollution control is making steady progress," the white paper read. "The proportion of coal consumption in total energy provision is decreasing year by year, while the contribution of hydropower, wind power, nuclear power, natural gas and other types of clean energy is increasing."
U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed in Washington, D.C., to collaborate on climate change by signing agreements outlined last year at a U.N.-backed summit in Paris.
A joint statement signed in Washington said both sides are committed to working bilaterally with other counties to help advance their climate initiatives.
"China has made significant efforts in moving the Paris agreement on greenhouse gas emissions mitigation toward adoption and taking effect, making it one of the fastest major international agreements ever to enter into force and further contributing to the world's sustainable development," the Chinese government said.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump suggested he'd pull the country out of the Paris agreement when he takes office in January.
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