United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Executive Director Klaus Topfer has dismissed reports of his saying that China's ambitious economic growth plans are environmentally unachievable.

"I have been misinterpreted," Topfer said in Nairobi Monday, explaining that what he wanted to say is "much work needed to be done for developed countries to make environmentally friendly products trendy and mainstream."

 

Topfer made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Xinhua in Nairobi, where UNEP is headquartered.

 

There have reports recently that Topfer criticized China's economic growth plans when he made a speech in Sydney, Australia, on July 15.

 

He was quoted as saying that China's ambitious economic growth plans are environmentally unachievable because the world does not have enough resources to allow its 1.3 billion people to become Western-style consumers.

 

"We need the chance for developing countries to develop themselves. We have to overcome the most toxic element in the world, that is poverty, in this process," Topfer told Xinhua in his Nairobi office.

 

"If you want to give this prospective, we should stimulate higher eco-efficient technologies, and I believe China will continue playing a leading role for developing countries in solving this problem," he said, stressing that China's economic growth has no threat to the world.

 

Topfer said UNEP has been in good and substantive cooperation with China and he hoped both sides will make continuing efforts to enhance the cooperation.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 21, 2003)