R 020833Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL SHANGHAI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7786
INFO CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
HQ EPA WASHINGTON DC
DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
NSC WASHINGTON DC
AMCONSUL SHANGHAI

UNCLAS SHANGHAI 000148 
 
 
STATE PASS TO CEQ SUTLEY 
EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL - KASMAN/GIANNINI-SPOHN 
USDOC FOR MAC AND MAS 
USDOE FOR INTERNATIONAL 
NSC FOR LOI 
STATE FOR S/SECC-STERN/PERSHING 
STATE ALSO FOR EAP/CM-HABJAN, EAP/PD-STOLTZ, GALT, AND EMMONS 
STATE ALSO FOR OES-DAS MIOTKE, OES/EGC, AND OES/ENV 
STATE ALSO FOR EEB AND ECA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ETRD ENRG TRGY SCUL BEXP CH
SUBJECT: WORLD EXPO 2010: ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS ON "BETTER CITY, BETTER 
LIFE" 
 
REF: 08 SHANGHAI 430 
 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY: Shanghai officials and event organizers are already 
touting the "green" focus of Expo 2010, set to open May 1, 2010 
and run for six months.  With the theme "Better City, Better 
Life," the Expo will showcase new approaches to urban 
development, human habitats, lifestyles, and working conditions 
in an effort to foster an eco-friendly society.  Environmental 
protection and energy conservation are key pillars; the Expo 
site and facilities will boast technologies such as ecological 
water purification, rainwater collection and reclamation, solar 
energy, wind farm technology, geothermal heating, LED lighting, 
wastewater treatment, and clean energy vehicles.   Participating 
countries and international organizations are also embracing the 
"green values" of the Expo theme. Although U.S. participation in 
the Expo is still in limbo, designers of the proposed 
private-sector U.S. pavilion also plan to emphasize green 
initiatives.  China views the Expo as an opportunity to increase 
awareness of these green values and, as a follow-on to the 2008 
Olympics, to further showcase its rapid growth on the world 
stage.  END SUMMARY. 
 
EXPO 2010 BACKGROUND 
-------------------- 
 
¶2.  Since the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, World Fairs 
have served as venues to exhibit innovation and to promote 
cultural exchange.  Shanghai is now taking its turn with Expo 
2010, the first such event in a developing country.  Over 200 
countries and international organizations are expected to 
participate, with more than 70 million expected visitors (the 
most in history) over the six-month period from May to October. 
The Expo 2010 zone itself covers a total area of 5.28 square 
kilometers of a former shipyard and straddles both sides of the 
Huangpu River. 
 
AN URBAN FOCUS: "BETTER CITY, BETTER LIFE" AND GREEN VALUES 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶3.  With Shanghai, one of China's richest, most populous and 
modern cities as host, Expo 2010 will focus on urban life in the 
21st century (55 percent of the world population is expected to 
live in cities by the event's opening).  Using the theme "Better 
City, Better Life," the Expo plans to showcase new approaches to 
urban development, human habitats, lifestyles, and working 
conditions in an effort to foster the creation of an 
eco-friendly society and the furthering of sustainable 
development.  The Shanghai Municipal Government and Expo 2010 
organizers are touting the "green" aspects of the event, most 
recently in the March edition of the Expo Bureau magazine and in 
a speech by the Bureau's Deputy Director ZHU Yonglei March 24. 
 
¶4.  At the March 24 "Networking Party on Cooperation and 
Collaboration for the World Expo 2010" featuring former German 
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Deputy Director Zhu discussed 
plans to recycle the temporary pavilions after the six-month 
fair and described some of the energy saving and sustainable 
aspects of various national pavilions.  An Australian Consulate 
representative told the Consul General that his country's 
pavilion will be completely recycled when the fair ends, more or 
less paying for the required take-down costs. 
 
¶5.  According to the March Expo Bureau magazine, the Expo zone 
will have a wide variety of facilities to reflect the Expo theme 
and core "green" values.  These installations, on permanent and 
temporary structures alike, will include facilities for 
ecological water purification, rainwater collection and 
reclamation, solar energy, wind farm technology, geothermal 
heating, LED lighting, wastewater treatment, and clean energy 
vehicles.  The expected 140 Expo and eco-related science and 
technology projects will have a total investment of CNY 544 
million (USD 79.65 million). 
 
GREENING OF THE EXPO ALREADY UNDERWAY 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  As with the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Shanghai 
authorities are developing strategies to ensure that the host 
city puts its best foot forward for the international community, 
especially on environmental issues.  Shanghai Environmental 
Protection Bureau (EPB) officials told Econoff that Shanghai 
faces unique challenges with the Expo that Beijing did not have 
with the Olympics.  The Olympics lasted less than three weeks 
and therefore drastic measures such as shutting factories could 
be implemented on a short-term basis without much impact on 
people's daily lives or the economy.  However, with the Expo 
running for six months, authorities have to find longer-term 
solutions that will minimize economic and social disruption. 
For starters, the city government has moved the biggest source 
of pollution in the downtown area, the Shanghai No. 3 Steel 
Works, to an industrial park outside of the city. 
 
¶7.  As for the Expo site itself, all facilities in the Expo zone 
are to be constructed according to China's "Green Building 
Standard." (NOTE: The World Expo Center has already received 
"China Green Building Certification" and is applying for a U.S. 
Energy and Environment Design Pioneer Award. END NOTE.)  In the 
"Best Practices Area" of the zone, a model named "Shanghai 
Eco-House" representing life in 2030 will be built using 
eco-friendly construction and energy conservation technologies. 
Because China lacks forest resources, timber will be used only 
in very limited quantities.  Temporary pavilions, including 
national pavilions, are required to use materials that can be 
dismantled and reused later.  Greenbelts are to cover more than 
one-tenth of the 5.28 sq km of the Expo zone. 
 
TRANSPORTATION - LOW OR EMISSION FREE 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  Eco-friendly transportation is another key aspect of the 
"green" focus.  About 1,000 eco-vehicles will be used to help 
the Expo zone stay emission-free and to keep the area around the 
site at low-emission levels as well.  Buses powered by dimethyl 
ether (an organic compound and a clean-burning hydrocarbon fuel) 
or with super capacitors will be widely used in Shanghai's 
public transport system.  Hydrogen-fuel-cell cars will also be 
featured prominently.  Plans are in the works to use them to 
transport visitors not only during the Expo, but also after the 
event to further test the technology's reliability.  Similarly, 
hydrogen refueling stations will be built in areas that are 
convenient for the Expo as well as other parts of the city to 
help further the domestic eco-vehicle industry. 
 
LIGHTING AND AIR CONDITIONING - KEEPING EXPO BRIGHT AND COOL 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
¶9.  Expo zone lighting will make wide use of LED technology. 
Since East China is home to some of the country's largest solar 
companies, solar energy will also be utilized in the zone's 
lighting system.  Photovoltaic batteries will be widely used on 
the roofs and walls of all major Chinese pavilions, with a total 
scale of more than 4 megawatts.  Light-guiding fiber equipment 
will also be featured, and by using this technology, sunlight 
will be guided into underground spaces and solar energy will 
then be stored for use at night.  The grid-connected solar PV 
facilities on the roofs and walls will also serve the backup 
power systems used for the pavilions in emergency situations. 
 
¶10.  Recognizing that Shanghai gets hot in the summer, Expo 
authorities are designing a series of measures to control 
temperatures, including building facilities on stilts to 
maximize air flow, designing natural wind fields, installing 
sun-shading systems, using special temperature decreasing 
materials, and cooling a building down by the sprinkling of 
water.  Technology utilizing the Huangpu River as a source for 
storing heat in the summer and retrieving it in the cooler 
autumn will be used.  Compared with providing heat through fuel 
gas, this technology could help save energy consumption by 40-60 
percent and decrease carbon dioxide emissions by 2,600 tons on 
an annualized basis in the Expo zone. 
 
WASTE AND WATER MANAGEMENT - COLLECTION IS KEY 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶11.  Waste control will be a large challenge and organizers are 
hoping to use the "3R" principle (recycle-reduce-reuse) to 
address this issue.  A computer-controlled system to deal with 
waste in the Expo zone is currently being installed.  This 
system will link 64 trash containers in the core area of the 
Expo site through fully enclosed underground pipelines.  It is 
the largest such system in China and will be completely 
automatic, requiring only three operators.  At a cost of about 
CNY 60 million (USD 8.76 million), it will handle approximately 
60 of the 160 tons (37.5 percent) of the garbage expected to be 
produced at the Expo site each day.  Additionally, all 
disposable tableware will be made of pollutant-free biomass 
materials instead of traditional plastics. 
 
¶12.  The Expo zone will use additional eco-friendly 
technologies, such as rainwater circulation.  For example, all 
four permanent structures (the World Expo Center, Performance 
Center, Theme Pavilion, and China Pavilion) will be equipped 
with rain collection and utilization systems.  Water used in the 
zone will mainly come from rain, which will save 1 million cubic 
meters of tap water annually. 
 
THE CHINA PAVILLION. . . 
------------------------ 
 
¶13.  German-owned Siemens, via a global partnership with the 
organizer, is helping to shape the China pavilion as a green 
landmark.  Equipped with Siemens building automation systems, 
the China Pavilion will make fresh air available to visitors 
with an estimated 25 percent less energy consumption than 
traditional buildings.  Installing Siemens low/middle-voltage 
power distribution equipment, the China Pavilion will save about 
50 percent of energy, and no harmful gas emissions will be 
generated due to newly developed insulated materials.  The 
"green" lighting solutions from Siemens Osram will make the 
China pavilion attractive at night, but also contribute 
significantly to energy-savings.  Other natural purification 
elements incorporated into the design include natural 
ventilation, solar technology, and a "China Garden" on the roof. 
 
 
. . . AND THE OTHER PARTICIPANTS. . . 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶14.  Other participating countries and organizations are 
following suit and employing the latest cutting-edge technology 
and environmentally friendly practices.  Although US 
participation in the Expo is yet to be confirmed, designers of 
the proposed private-sector-funded U.S. pavilion also plan to 
emphasize green initiatives, including a "green roof" complete 
with bee hives and an urban agriculture zone.  Following is a 
synopsis of eco-friendly aspects of various pavilions from other 
participants. 
 
-- CANADA: The whole building will be wrapped by a special 
green-leaf plant, with a special rainwater collection system. 
 
-- COCA-COLA: Coke's building will be designed to reflect the 
theme of a "green Expo" and will acquaint visitors with the 
company's R&D efforts and eco-friendly practices in product 
packaging, waste water treatment and air protection. 
 
-- FINLAND: The pavilion will utilize both green design and 
green construction.  3D computer models will be used to support 
the construction as well as proper dismantling and reassembly in 
the future. 
 
-- HAMBURG'S URBAN BEST PRACTICES AREA PAVILION: "Hamburg House" 
will use recycled energy, be self-sufficient and have zero 
emissions.  Technologies will be used to keep the pavilion cool 
in summer while warm in autumn without having an air-conditioner. 
 
-- JAPAN: Japan's national pavilion will highlight the country's 
sophisticated technological prowess by creating a "pavilion that 
breathes."  It will also employ layers of ultra-light membranes 
that can generate electricity. 
 
-- NORWAY: With the theme: "Norway Powered by Nature," the 
pavilion will collect solar energy via a semi-transparent roof. 
It will be built by using prefabricated laminated wood building 
kits and bamboo to be shipped from Norway. 
 
-- SAIC-GENERAL MOTORS AUTO PAVILION: Brand new sustainable 
automobile power and transmission systems will be displayed.  GM 
will also show how environmentally friendly, safe, and smart 
autos in the future will resolve problems such as congestion, 
air pollution and traffic accidents. 
 
-- SWITZERLAND: The pavilion will feature an outside "curtain" 
made from soybeans and dye-sensitized solar cells that are 
capable of generating electricity. 
 
-- United Nations World Meteorological Organization: As the 
first meteorological pavilion in the 157-year history of the 
World Fairs, the United Nations plans a high-tech weather 
station that will simulate climate cataclysms to urge people to 
protect the environment.  It will offer weather forecasts for 
the Expo site to visitors through bulletin boards inside the 
site and to visitors' mobile phones. 
 
-- UNITED KINGDON: All materials will be recycled and the whole 
building will have zero emission. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶15.  World Expos feature a lot of flashes and bangs -- 
futuristic gadgets that may never be marketable to an average 
consumer but do point the direction of innovative technology. 
Expo 2010's focus on green urban development underscores 
Shanghai's, and China's, increasing recognition of the 
importance of the environment and people's wellbeing. 
Participating countries, either through their national pavilions 
or through multinationals like Siemens hope to use Expo 2010 to 
showcase their latest technologies to China and the world. 
Shanghai views Expo 2010 as an opportunity to demonstrate its 
own commitment to green values.  Moreover, as a follow-on to the 
2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China hopes the Expo will 
promote the country's rapid growth and development into a 
prominent actor on the world stage. 
 
 
CAMP