USTDA Supports China's Efforts to Combat Global Climate Change

(USTDA) Signs Three Grants ahead of U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue

BEIJING, CHINA – Today, U.S. Trade and Development Agency Director Leocadia I. Zak signed grants for three activities that support the United States' and China's joint commitment to mitigating the effects of global climate change.

"USTDA has partnered with China on over 50 environment and climate change projects since 2001," said Director Zak. "Building on past efforts, these new activities will highlight innovative U.S. technologies that can help reduce greenhouse gases and improve energy efficiency in China."

The first grant supports Midea Hualing Refrigerator Company's efforts to reduce hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent greenhouse gases used in many refrigerators. This project will demonstrate Honeywell's (Morristown, NJ) alternative cooling solution that provides an effective, energy efficient HFC replacement. Promoting technologies that lower HFC emissions directly supports the commitment made by Presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jinping to phase down the consumption and production of HFCs during their June 2013 Sunnylands Summit in California.

The second project is a joint effort by LP Amina (Charlotte, NC) and Quzhai Cement Company to develop an implementation plan for emissions reduction technologies at Chinese cement plants, which are the country's second largest source of nitrous oxide emissions. This project will utilize LP Amina's expertise to demonstrate how Quzhai can reduce current emissions levels at its cement facilities by more than half.

The third activity supports the China Institute of Electronics' efforts to deploy energy efficient technologies at their data centers. The pilot project, which will feature technologies from SGH Holdings (Sterling, VA), builds upon previous work between China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the U.S. Department of Energy to significantly reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions caused by data centers.

Director Zak signed these grants during a meeting of the U.S.-China Climate Change Working Group, which was established in July 2013 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution by tackling the largest sources of emissions in both countries. Later this week, Director Zak will participate in the sixth U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, where she will highlight USTDA's contributions to strengthening trade between the United States and China.