U.S. -CHINA ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BEIJING 002536

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR OES/WATSON, OES/EGC-DEROSA-JOYNT AND OES/PCI
STATE FOR APP/GTHOMPSON
STATE FOR EAP/CM - WARD
STATE PASS TO CEQ CONNAUGHTON AND BANKS
NSC FOR HUNTER, SHRIER, TONG
USDOE FOR INTERNATIONAL/HARBERT, FREDRICKSEN, AND GEBERT
USDOE FOR S-1 MWILLIAMSON AND JKUPFER
USDOE FOR EERE PDICKERSON, JMIZROCH, AND MGINSBERG
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL/MCASKILL AND AYRIS
USDOC FOR JNEUHOFF

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG TRGY PREL PGOV SENV CH
SUBJECT: U.S. -CHINA ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
TECHNOLOGY COOPERATION - MINISTRY OF CONTRUTION EAGER TO LEAD IN
GREEN BUILDING TECHNOLOY

REF. (A) Beijing 02535 (B) Beijing 00346


1. (SBU) Summary. On the margins of the Third International
Conference on Intelligent Green and Energy Efficient Building
Technologies and Products Expo (Intelligent Building Technology
Conference),Vice Minister of the Ministry of Construction (MOC) Qiu
Baoxing shared his vision for expanding the use of green building
technology throughout China with Mark Ginsberg, Member of the Board
of Directors, DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
(DOE EERE). Qiu plans to work with 30 key Chinese city Mayors to
build a green building, akin to Beijing's Agenda 21 Building, in
each of their cities and to demonstrate the versatility of green
building technology through application to mixed developments and
new building types. MOC is eager to partner with the DOE to conduct
negotiations on the Energy Efficiency Green Buildings Annex (EERE
Annex) to the "Protocol between the Department of Energy and the
Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China
for Cooperation in the Fields of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy Technology (EERE Protocol)" and proposes three projects to
implement the energy efficiency and green building technology
cooperation. End Summary.

Vice Minister Qiu Baoxing's Vision for Green Building Design in
China
--------------


2. (SBU) Mark Ginsberg, DOE EERE joined Richard Fedrizzi, Chief
Operating Officer and President of the U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC) for a meeting with Vice Minister Qiu Baoxing on the margins
of the Intelligent Building Technology Conference on March 27, 2007.
Fedrizzi introduced Ginsberg to the Vice Minister as the DOE
official who recognized the value of funding Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED) and the USGBC. A former Mayor, Qiu
understands the importance of working locally. Qiu plans to work
with 30 key Mayors to build a green building, akin to Beijing's
Agenda 21 Building (Ref. A),in each of their cities. His purpose
is to demonstrate the feasibility of green building construction and
promote green building technologies in key areas outside Beijing.

Qiu, a Green Building Believer, Shares Plans for Sowing Green
Building Technology in China
-------------- --------------


3. (SBU) After attending a USGBC meeting three years ago, VM Qiu
signed an agreement to pursue a GBC Chapter in China. Qiu hopes to
see 70 local GB Councils to comprise the China Green Building
Council and to establish a World GBC chapter in China. Vice
Minister Qiu views GBCs as important for local governments and wants
a GBC presence in China. The Ministry of Construction is the
principal designer and sponsor of the Intelligent Building
Technology Conference.


4. (SBU) Qiu plans to replace the outdated Mayor's Training Center
in Beijing with a building that employs green building and energy
efficient technologies. It is important to introduce the concept of
green and energy efficient construction technologies by having a
training facility that showcases the technologies, Qiu observed.
Qiu indicated that, as the first LEED Gold certified building in
China, the Agenda 21 Building has been a valuable model for green
buildings in China.


5. (SBU) Qiu wants to expand the green building concept to 10
different types of buildings covering a range of uses and
industries. The purpose of the plan is to demonstrate the
applicability of green building design technology to industrial,
residential, commercial, and mixed use developments in China.


6. (SBU) Ginsberg explained that one of his primary purposes in
Beijing is to discuss the establishment of a Center of Excellence on
the second floor of the Agenda 21 Building with MOST. Ginsberg
hopes that MOC will also participate in the Center of Excellence, a
project intended to showcase United States green building
technology.

BEIJING 00002536 002 OF 003




Ministry of Construction Eager to Partner with DOE
-------------- --------------


7. (SBU) Ginsberg also met with Han Aixing, Deputy Director General
and Senior Engineer, Department of Science and Technology, MOC on
March 29, 2007 (Ref. A) to discuss the process for negotiating the
EE Annex and ideas for projects to be included. Ginsberg
congratulated the Ministry on the excellent Intelligent Building
Technology Conference just concluded, and praised Vice Minister
Qiu's plan to build green building demonstration projects in various
Chinese cities as a good step in gaining wide acceptance for green
building technology in China.


8. (SBU) Han applauded the signing of the EERE Protocol with MOST
(Ref. B),and noted the great influence that the Agenda 21 Building
has had throughout China. Han recalled that he had been involved in
the initial planning and early construction stages for the Agenda 21
Building, but that ultimate responsibility for its development had
been given to MOST. MOST funds MOC's green building technology
construction projects.


9. (SBU) Ginsberg outlined the proposal for the Annex, including
the establishment of a Steering Committee for the Agenda 21 Building
Center of Excellence, with the view that perhaps MOC could
participate in the Center's development. By way of introducing the
areas of cooperation for inclusion in the EE Annex, Han stated that
MOC had built a building similar to the Agenda 21 Building, but had
not fully realized the building's energy efficiency targets. Han
hopes that, as a result of the cooperation with DOE, the time has
come to begin discussing how to realize those targets.

Potential Areas of Cooperation
--------------


10. (SBU) Han identified three areas of cooperation for DOE's
consideration:

a) Construct a mixed use (e.g., residential, commercial,
entertainment, educational) high performance and environmentally
sound building to demonstrate the versatility of energy efficiency
building technology;

b) Conduct a series of training courses on zero energy buildings
targeted at local officials (Mayors) and design professionals;

c) Construct a new Mayor's training center using energy efficiency
technology thus providing the Mayors with personal experience with a
green building.


11. (SBU) Ginsberg presented a draft of the EE Annex to serve as
the basis for future discussions and exchanges. Noting that the
Center of Excellence is one of the areas of cooperation already
included in the EE Annex, Ginsberg indicated that the EE Annex will
serve as the framework for future cooperation between DOE and MOC.
DOE will consider the MOC's specific proposals and work to reach
agreement on the type of assistance DOE will provide. Ginsberg
requested clarification of whether the proposal for the Mayor's
training center was one of the 10 green building demonstration
projects that MOC is planning to build. Han said that he will
clarify the proposal, and indicated that they are interested in
technical assistance on a variety of building types. Han and
Ginsberg agreed to negotiate the EE Annex by exchanging electronic
versions of the text.

DOE to Provide Technical Assistance and to Explore Additional
Collaboration
-------------- --------------


12. (SBU) When Han suggested that DOE consider providing financial
support for building construction, Ginsberg advised that DOE does
not fund capital projects, even in the United States. Rather, DOE

BEIJING 00002536 003 OF 003


provides technical assistance, such as evaluating the design program
for soundness in reaching maximum energy efficiency. Han indicated
that he would like to follow the cooperation model DOE had used with
MOST.


13. (SBU) Ginsberg explored other collaborative efforts, such as
inviting a group of city Mayor's to attend the Green Building
Council conference in Chicago or a visit to the DOE National
Renewable Energy Laboratory. Additionally DOE will explore how it
can participate in 2008's Intelligent Building Technology
Conference. Han noted that Great Britain is already actively
involved in the Conference because it wants to be a major player in
the reduction of greenhouse gases.



14. (SBU) Participants:

Ministry of Construction, Peoples Republic of China:

Han Aixing,
Deputy Director General, Department of Science and Technology

Peng Mengyue,
Division of International Cooperation and Project Development,
Center of Science and Technology of Construction, and Center of
Energy Efficiency in Buildings

Hwang Qin, Senior Engineer, Office of the Organizing Committee of
the Intelligent Building Technology Conference

United States:

Mark Ginsberg, Member of the Board of Directors, DOE Office of
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Maria Holleran Rivera, Attach, DOE China Office, Embassy of the
United States

Shao Jun, Interpreter, DOE China Office


RANDT