中欧社会论坛 - China Europa Forum

Background

The "China-Europe Green Towns and Business Platform” is a new initiative by the China-Europa Forum (CEF) and is a logical development of its activities over the past 10 years.

The society-to-society dialogue between China and Europe initiated in 2005 by the CFE has demonstrated its appropriateness. The results of the 4th China Europa Forum held in Paris in December 2014 and which dealt with the subject of "Rethinking the model of global development to climate change" have made us more convinced than ever of the need for dialogue involving multi-aspect civilian societies between China and Europe.

In 10 years the CEF has built up a wide network with its partners from various sectors of society: NGOs, universities, political, social and economic or scientific institutions, and in particular the media in China and Europe. Based on a broad awareness of environmental protection in China and Europe as part of the global dynamics of the fight against climate change, the CEF is launching this project with support from its partners on both sides in order to consolidate cross-cultural dialogue and multi-actor participation, and to focus on China-EU cooperation in the fields of environment and sustainable development.

The "China-Europe Green Towns and Business Platform” has been initiated by the China-Europa Forum and the China Philanthropy Research Institute.

I. Objective

1) To strengthen the development of citizens, enterprises and institutions in civilian society net-works;

2) To facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas on energy and environmental technology transition;

3) To promote initiatives in urban environmental protection in the framework of Sino-European cooperation;

4) To encourage the exchange and sharing of experiences in the fight against climate change;

5) To evaluate and reward the efforts of cities, enterprises, associations and citizens in the field of sustainable development.

II. Action Programmes

1. Creation of an Institute for Sustainable Development.

4. The China - Europe Green Award (The China-Europe Award for ecological transition)

The Award Ceremony will be organised each year in a European or a Chinese city as part of a China-Europe Dialogue Conference on Green cities and businesses. The first Award Ceremony will be held on 29 June 2015 in Brussels.

Definition

The ecological transition is a concept that covers the energy transition, the circular economy, the preservation and restoration of ecosystems, low-carbon economy and technologies to save natural resources. The ecological transition is, however, not simply to "green" our current development model. It also forces us to rethink and reconsider a thoroughly modern development model resulting from the industrial revolution, to give up our old model and to seek and accept a new sustainable model in which the symbiosis between humans and the planet would be preserved by living, producing, consuming, working and governing differently.

The China-Europe Green Award encourages cities, companies, institutions and individuals to actively participate in the ecological transition and create the momentum and the material conditions necessary for implementation. The China-Europe Green Award, characterised by its international character, aims to develop the policies and procedures promoting scientific and technological innovation and new management methods in order to increase energy savings, reduce pollution, conserve natural resources and move towards a low-carbon society. It also intends to encourage all public policies and individual actions conducive to investment, education and training for a sustainable ecological society, and to provide tomorrow’s solutions by sharing knowledge, experiences and technology transfer around the ecological transition between Europe and China.

The award wishes to reward cities, companies and foundations for their contributions to the ecological transition by encouraging them to intensify efforts already made and to carry out long-term projects with a global vision for the future, and to promote China Europe cooperation and the green partnership.

Project funding

The funds come mainly from contributions made by Platform members.