Zhuhai seen as green city model for Europe, China

Themed "compact urban development, green building, and green transportation," the three-day 2017 EC-link Intercity Lab opened at the Zhuhai International Conference & Exhibition Center on June 21.  

Lars Gronvald, head of the Development & Cooperation Section of Delegation of the European Union to China, said in an opening speech that Zhuhai is a genuine green city. It has made ambitious goals for green development and established comprehensive evaluation systems to improve lives and the city's competitiveness.

Gronvald expressed hope that through learning and competition between Chinese and European cities, low-carbon goals could be achieved to create the best habitats for urban dwellers and the best option for business development and investors. 

Attendees at EC-Link Intercity Lab

Su Yunshan, director general of the Department of Science & Technology and Energy Saving on Buildings at the Ministry of Housing & Urban-Rural Development, cited remarkable achievements in nine key areas since the Europe China Eco Cities Link project (EC-Link) was initiated three years ago.

For example, Zhuhai and Luoyang in Henan Province have gained experience in policy-making mechanisms, market models, and technological standards, setting paces for the initiative in China, Su said.

At the lab, more than 20 representatives from EU cities including Liverpool of the UK, Hamburg of Germany, and Barcelona of Spain gave briefings about the best field experiences and ideas about sustainable development of European cities. Zhuhai representatives, as well as those from Luoyang and Hefei in Anhui Province talked about their own practices on behalf of pilot cities.

Su Yunshan delivers keynote speech [Photos by Zeng Yao/Zhuhai Daily]

Among the keynote speakers were Dr Florian Steinberg, an urban planning expert of the EC-Link project; Andrea Claser, team leader of the project; Mark Hewlett, expert on UK low-carbon and compact urban development; Mark Major, expert on green transportation; Dirk Schwede, expert on green building; Li Xun, vice dean of the China Academy of Urban Planning & Design; and Wang Youwei, chairman of the China Green Building Council.

Both Luoyang and Zhuhai were selected as pilot cities in the EC-Link project in March 2015.

Under the EC-Link framework, China and Europe have worked together in nine key sectors: compact urban development, clean energy, green buildings, green transportation, solid waste management, water control, municipal financing, urban regeneration, and green industry.