The 1st Media Forum of Sustainable Development, convened by South-North Institute for Sustainable Development, was founded on Aug. 7, 2002 in the Orchard Room, Zhongshan Park where the Institute located. Attendants included both national and local Beijing media such as China Central Television, China Radio International, China Electric Power News, Beijing Youth Daily, Beijing Morning Daily.
The Forum aims to facilitate the exchange of ideas and share of resources among the media concerning environmental protection and establish a media network to publicize environmental protection and sustainable development.
The core subject of the 1st forum is the feasibility to establish a volunteer-based green power market in Beijing and the way to develop the market. In 2001, South-North Institute carried out a survey in Beijing entitled Feasibility study of promoting GE in Beijing and public survey on potential GE customer and the result is very positive. Early this year, two SNISD program officers went to the USA to attend training courses concerning renewable energy. Two months ago, SNISD worked with CCTV to shoot a special program about the green electricity in the Netherlands and the film was broadcast in the prime time of CCTV-1 on Aug. 7. The travel to the Netherlands is part of the project Promoting green electricity in China: Communication and public education. The director of the film expressed some of her point of view about green electricity and her thought of the travel on the Forum. Also, the film shot in the USA was shown in the forum and it was highly praised by all the guests present.
Due to the success of the project last year, SNISD got fund for the 2nd stage project from The Energy Foundation and World Wide Fund for Nature.
The development and establishment of green power market involve the participation of power customer, the support from related governmental agencies, the willingness of utilities as well as the efforts of NGOs and the help from media. While implementing renewable energy projects, the USA and the Netherlands has borrowed a hand from media to supervise the process and publicize the concept. Therefore, SNISD convened the forum to get media together to push the development and utilization of environment friendly renewable energy in China.
A couple of journalists present asked very keen questions concerning green electricity and got informative answers from experts including representatives of World Bank, The Energy Foundation, North China Power Group and Beijing Economic Commission. The details of the Forum will be soon uploaded to the website of SNISD and green electricity. Those who are interested may check the two websites.
Yang Jike, member of the Standing Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Deputy-Director of the Population, Resources and Environment Committee of CPPCC, director of SNISD, attended the Forum. Zhou Tao, the best known TV host from CCTV, also was present as a special guest.