NRDC Signs Energy Efficiency Agreement with China

WASHINGTON (July 11, 2013) -- A representative of the Natural Resources Defense Council Thursday signed an agreement to collaborate on an energy efficiency program for Beijing that would cut demand for electricity by 800 MW, roughly the output of a standard fossil-fuel power plant, by 2015.

At a State Department ceremony, Mona Yew,  Beijing-based deputy director of NRDC’s China Program, signed a Statement of Intent with the Beijing Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Center (BEEC) to work together to develop and implement a plan to improve efficiency and reduce electric demand in Beijing buildings and factories.

“China recognizes the critical role energy efficiency plays in its efforts to combat climate change,” Yew said. “This partnership will demonstrate that energy efficiency is one of the most cost effective ways to curb carbon emissions and pursue a sustainable energy future, a lesson which can be applied to cities throughout China.”

NRDC, a leading international environmental group which has been working in China for nearly 20 years, will provide expertise and experience in U.S. best practices to help improve demand side management (DSM) for Beijing, a city of 20 million whose population has been growing by 600,000 persons annually.  Beijing has an ambitious target to reduce or shift electricity demand in Beijing by 800 MW by the end of 2015. NRDC and BEEC, a government-affiliated organization, will jointly support this effort and promote Beijing’s successful efforts in other Chinese cities and internationally.

The NRDC-BEEC EcoPartnership was one of six signed Thursday in connection with the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue being held this week in Washington. During the S&ED, through the U.S.-China Working Group on Climate Change, both sides committed to intensify their efforts on efficiency measures, with an initial focus on promoting the energy efficiency of buildings, which account for over 30 percent of energy use in both countries, including through the use of innovative financing models, according to the State Department.