US Board Members Convene Annual Strategy Session | December 2006
On December 1, 2006 the annual strategy working session of the U.S. Board of Councilors for the China-U.S. Center for Sustainable Development was convened at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C. The meeting was chaired by U.S. Chair William McDonough in the morning session and by Dr. Gary Dirks, Chief Executive of BP China, in the afternoon. Mr. Chen Linhao, Counselor for Science and Technology, represented the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and entered into the record a letter of support from Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong.
The Board evaluated next steps for current programs and considered new initiatives.
Rural Development. The Board agreed on the importance of follow through with existing commitments and requested the Secretariat to prioritize an assessment of the Phase I rural demonstration in Huangbaiyu, Liaoning Province. This data and information – results and lessons learned – will be used to guide further cooperation in the village and can be shared with other villages.
New Towns. The Board agreed on the direction of the new towns initiative and encouraged an increase in the pace of activity to identify suitable sustainable design and construction projects that can demonstrate the application of sustainable technologies, products and processes.
Training. The Board endorsed the existing training program with the Ministry of Land and Resources and the Ministry of Construction. The Board requested the Secretariat to explore the potential expansion of the training to other Chinese ministries and to engage additional US stakeholders.
New Initiatives. The Board agreed that the Strategic Framework for Cooperative Action prepared by the China Board and Secretariat provided a sound foundation for future action. This framework, in addition to the current focus on rural reconstruction and urban new town development, calls for an increased focus on industry innovation for sustainable development. The US Board formed a Strategy Development Working Group to further refine the Center’s direction and framework for cooperation and to develop criteria for project selection, funding, staffing and management.
Given the wide ranging agreement among the Board members that the reduction of carbon and other green house gases was of critical importance to the Center’s mission, the US Board formed an Energy/Carbon Working Group to develop a strategy and development program for review.
The intensive one day Board Meeting was preceded by a festive gathering the evening before hosted by Board Member, Mrs. Teresa Heinz, at her Washington, D.C. area home.