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V. Participation of the Whole Society
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Contents
Diverse media platforms have been used to showcase the policies, actions and achievements by various industries and areas in addressing climate change. High importance was placed on providing NGOs with greater scope for initiative. China has popularized scientific knowledge on climate change, encouraged the whole society to participate in actions to combat climate change, and created a social atmosphere favoring green and low-carbon development. (I) Enhancing Government Guidance In September, 2012, the State Council designated the third day of China's Energy Saving Publicity Week as the National Low-Carbon Day, starting in 2013, in an effort to raise people's awareness of addressing climate change and promoting low-carbon development. Relevant departments and local governments have promoted low-carbon development by way of producing publicity materials, holding forums and organizing campaigns. In a widely acclaimed move, the National Development and Reform Commission has published a white paper entitled China's Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change (2011) to give a comprehensive overview of China's actions and achievements in addressing climate change. The Ministry of Science and Technology compiled a scientific and technological brochure on addressing climate change during the 11th Five-Year Plan period. The Ministry of Environmental Protection produced four non-commercial environmental advertisements including Combating Climate Change with a Light Switch and Addressing Climate Change: Travel Mode Matters. It has produced about 20,000 posters showing how the public can combat climate change, and held eight training sessions for teenage environment ambassadors. During the 2012 National Week of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, more than 20 million popular science books and publicity handbooks were handed out around the country and more than 3,000 lectures were held on disaster prevention and mitigation. Together with other relevant departments, the National Development and Reform Commission has launched an energy-saving publicity week on the theme of energy-saving and green development, organized the 2012 China (Beijing) International Energy Saving Exhibition, and actively promoted energy saving through non-commercial SMS and green driving lectures. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development promoted Car-Free Day in cities around China with the theme of "Green transport, future of cities." To promote low-carbon development in the transport sector, the Ministry of Transport organized public bicycle rental campaigns, energy conservation and environmental protection exhibitions, low-carbon-experience days, public lectures and title-awarding ceremony for the fifth batch of emission reduction demonstration projects. The State Forestry Administration has launched training programs on climate change for media professionals, held zero-carbon concerts and displayed non-commercial posters on forestry carbon sequestration in parks. The China Meteorological Administration has produced TV series and books entitled Climate Change - China in Action (2011) in multiple languages and published two popular science books: Climate Change Stories and Looking for Green and Low-Carbon Buildings. It has also promoted scientific knowledge on climate change by the chances of World Meteorological Day and the National Day of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. The Government Offices Administration of the State Council has organized a National Public Institutions Energy-Saving Publicity Week with the theme of "New Low-carbon Lifestyle: Public Institutions as Role Models," which featured activities such as suspending lift services and air-conditioning and encouraging employees to walk to work. (II) Extensive Media Publicity Major Chinese news media have carried varied and informative coverage of climate change and green and low-carbon development. Special coverage and in-depth reports on Durban Climate Change Conference and important documents were carried by the Xinhua News Agency, the People's Daily, CCTV and other mainstream media as well as specialist media. Relevant media has enhanced the quality and impact of climate change coverage by organizing various activities and offering popular publicity materials. CCTV and other media organizations produced Same Hot, Same Cool, the World Over – the Journey of Climate Civilization, the Warming Earth and other documentaries. The China News Agency held a photography exhibition on the theme of Low-carbon Development and Green Life. The China Economic Herald and other media organizations took the initiative to select the top 10 news stories on the subject of addressing climate change and promoting low-carbon development in China in 2011. (III) NGO Initiatives The Center for China Climate Change Communication conducted a questionnaire and produced a statistical analysis of Chinese people's awareness of climate change, its influence, and how to tackle it, as well as their support for relevant policies, participation in remedial actions and assessment of publicity effect, as reference material for Chinese policy makers. The China Renewable Energy Industry Association organized forums and expositions on low-carbon lighting, low-carbon buildings, energy-saving and environmentally-friendly building materials, low-carbon transport and new-energy vehicles to boost exchanges and cooperation among enterprises and promote the development of the renewable energy industry. The China Environmental Protection Foundation held, for the fourth time, a series of social activities for college students to encourage them to actively combat climate change, as part of its efforts to promote participation of the whole society in energy conservation and emission reduction. The China Green Carbon Foundation organized tree planting drives on the theme of Make Our Country Green and Promote Low-carbon Lifestyles. Some 40 domestic and foreign NGOs jointly launched the Climate Citizen Surpassing Action (C+) Plan to encourage enterprises, schools, communities and individuals to take action on climate change. The WWF once again organized the annual Earth Hour event. In addition, the China Association for NGO Cooperation and the Green Commuting Fund organized the Cool China-National Low-Carbon Action project and mounted low-carbon exhibitions in Liaoning, Beijing, Tianjin, Hangzhou and 11 other provinces and cities around the country. (IV) Proactive Participation by the Public The Chinese public is responding to climate change by making low-carbon lifestyle choices in eating habits, housing, transport and tourism, and adopting a generally moderating and no-waste consumption style. The public is increasingly inclined to choose green and low-carbon means of transport such as the use of public transport, and a total of 143 cities around China had pledged to hold car-free days by 2011. All localities in China have conducted energy-saving and carbon reduction activities in schools, government departments, shopping malls, barracks, enterprises and communities to advocate "energy-saving, thrifty and frugal" working, living and consumption values. The public are encouraged to conscientiously avoid extravagance and waste and lead a simple life. Universities, high schools and primary schools around the country have actively publicized the low-carbon lifestyle and environmental protection through various activities, which have vigorously boosted young people's awareness of the need to conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions. |
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