Prime minister calls on two countries to lead the way for eco-towns
Gordon Brown has hailed a new eco-partnership with China.
Speaking at a press conference in Shanghai on the second day of his overseas trip to China and India, the prime minister said the two countries will “lead the world in the creation of eco-cities and eco-towns”.
Brown said the UK will provide China with £50m from the Environmental Transformation Fund to support investment in energy efficiency and renewables.
Addressing journalists at the Shanghai Urban Planning Museum, he also promised an extension to the EU-China Near Zero Emissions Coal Programme with money from the fund to support this.
Additionally, he said the UK will build a commercial scale coal-fired power station in China with carbon capture and storage by 2020.
“Over the next few years the development of this new higher level of environmental cooperation will have the support of the British government and I know from my discussions earlier today and yesterday the support of the Chinese government,” said the prime minister.
Commenting on his visit to the Dongtan eco-city outside Shanghai, a joint country venture that promises to house around 400,000 people, he said it will develop close links with London's Thames Gateway scheme.
Brown promised to share UK technology on the development of cleaner coal as well as carbon capture and storage.
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