A China-EU workshop on climate change opened in Beijing on Monday, focusing on the promotion of the Kyoto Protocol's clean development mechanism (CDM).

"The workshop shows our commitment to translate the recently agreed partnership into concrete action," said France Jessen, deputy head of the European Commission's delegation to China, at the opening ceremony.

In September, China and the EU issued a joint declaration on climate change, agreeing to establish a partnership and jointly promote the implementation of CDM.

The two-day workshop focuses on the Kyoto Protocol's CDM, which envisages emission-saving projects in developing countries, and emissions trading as tools to combat climate change through cost-effective actions.

The protocol is a United Nations (UN) pact to contain global warming, which allows developed countries and their enterprises to earn emission rights by investing in energy efficiency or renewable energy projects in developing countries to help reduce general emission levels.

More than 100 officials and entrepreneurs from China and the EU will also discuss a number of key issues in preparation for the upcoming UN climate change conference in Montreal, Canada, including CDM promotion.

China has issued rules to manage CDM projects and to date, eight CDM projects have been officially approved. Another four are awaiting approval. 

"China has great potential in the CDM market," said Zhu Guangyao, vice minister of China's State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), acknowledging that the market is far from mature.

He said he hoped that the workshop will provide constructive proposals on developing the market, so as to further promote China-EU cooperation.

The workshop is co-sponsored by SEPA and the European Commission Directorate of Environment.

(Xinhua News Agency November 15, 2005)