Global Environmental Institute
Encyclopedia
The GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTE (GEI) was founded in the U.S. in 2003 and was registered as an independent non-profit organization in the State of Delaware. GEI's mission was to design and implement market-based models for solving environmental problems in order to achieve development that is economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable. GEI was dissolved in October 2011. GEI's sister organization, the independent Beijing Chaoyang District Sustainable Global Environmental Institute in China (GEI-China) remains active.
and think tank
that was established in Beijing, China in 2004. GEI-China shares GEI's mission to design and implement market-based models for solving environmental problems in order to achieve development that is economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable.
GEI-China was founded on these principles and specifically aims to:
GEI-China has worked extensively in the fields of rural energy, biodiversity conservation, energy efficiency in industry and environmental governance
in China. In particular, it has made significant headway in spurring on unofficial, bilateral talks on climate change between the United States and China (please see page 3 of the latter reference). Moreover, it has paved the way for enforcing good environmental behavior by Chinese banks as ell as enterprises operating overseas, and enhancing land management policies in other developing countries.
GEI-China is one of a small number of NGOs based in China, and works closely with a number of important government and academic institutions in China (including the Ministry of Environmental Protection
, State Forestry Administration, Tibet Development Fund and Tsinghua University
).
GEI-China's Sustainable Rural Development program works to incorporate successful commercial models to the development of rural communities. In particular, its projects focus clean renewable energy at the household and village level (e.g. biogas
, solar cookers) as well as organic farming
and rural finance. Project sites include Lijiang
, Yunnan Province, the Tibet Autonomous Region
and Chebaling Nature Reserve in Guangdong Province (with UNESCO
) in China
, as well as five provinces in Sri Lanka
.
The Biodiversity Conservation program at GEI-China works to spur economic development of communities living near the buffer zones of nature reserves and promoting financial models that resolve conflicts between biodiversity conservation and local economic development. GEI has worked closely with county and provincial level governments to promote the Conservation Incentive Agreements model in the Fengtongzhai Nature Reserve in Baoxing County
, Sichuan Province. In addition, the program team has worked with the Chinese government and Chinese timber enterprises in the publication and promotion of the "Guidelines on Sustainable Overseas Silviculture by Chinese Enterprises" (see below).
GEI-China's Energy and Climate Change program works towards the development of clean energy and energy efficient enterprises through market-oriented solutions. Its work in this area has included the promotion of energy service companies (ESCos) and capacity building for Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM) projects in China, particularly in the cement industry for energy efficiency retro-fitting.
GEI-China has also provided training subsidium for Chinese enterprises under their Eco-Entrepreneurship Training Project.
The use of energy efficiency in China's metallurgy industry and models for the bulk procurement of energy efficient products and technology has also been actively encouraged in selected Chinese cities. In addition, GEI has worked closely with Chinese and US government institutions to promote unofficial dialogue and cooperation on climate change (see article below).
Finally, GEI-China's Environmental Governance program works to provide capacity building on sustainable development
for China's high-level decision makers, and to this effect it has worked closely with China's Central Communist Party School. The team also works to improve the environmental behavior of Chinese enterprises operating overseas through application of environmental tools such as Environmental Impact Assessment
and payment for ecosystem services
. In addition, it works closely with host countries to strengthen environmental policy. GEI is currently working with the Lao
National Land Management Authority to strengthen its land management law and enforcement.
During the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Madame Jiaman Jin, Executive Director of GEI-China, said that GEI will continue to follow the climate action framework set up by the Center for Climate Strategies, placing greater emphasis on the provincial and city prefecture level in China. In addition, GEI-China will actively facilitate South-South collaboration on rural energy, particularly on technologies like biogas, solar energy and energy efficient stoves.
Through the years, GEI-China has worked to develop local capacity, both by supporting and incubating new NGOs and training current and future government leaders through an environmental curriculum at the Central Party School of the Chinese Communist Party.
National Development and Reform Commission
(China)
Ministry of Environmental Protection
(China)
State Forestry Administration (China)
Blue Moon Fund
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Worldwatch Institute
,with the regular coordination of articles for the China Watch environmental news digest
The GEI-China Partnership Program assists international NGOs in developing environmental protection efforts in China and provides a platform for Chinese organizations and leaders to interact with and learn from environmental efforts of those outside of China. Some of these programs include:
GEI-China - Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation Partnership
The Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation (iCET), originally known as Auto Project on Energy and Climate Change, was launched in 2005 and aims to promote clean and energy efficient transportation technology and stringent fuel efficiency and vehicle emission regulations in China. iCET has now become an independent NGO that continues to receive financial and technical consulting from GEI.
GEI-China - Green River Partnership: Three Rivers Migration Study Project
In 2005, GEI-China and the Green River Environmental Protection Organization of Sichuan Province organized to implement the Three Rivers Migration Study. This partnership aims to facilitate public understanding of the regions changes, monitor government action and to develop information and recommendations to help the government improve its migration policy.
Guidelines on Sustainable Overseas Silviculture by Chinese Enterprises
Green rules eye Chinese firms abroad
GEI-China's Mission and Strategy
GEI-China is an independent Chinese environmental non-profit, non-governmental organizationNon-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
and think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
that was established in Beijing, China in 2004. GEI-China shares GEI's mission to design and implement market-based models for solving environmental problems in order to achieve development that is economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable.
GEI-China was founded on these principles and specifically aims to:
- Achieve self-sustaining and ecologically-sound rural development by linking local communities directly with outside partners in areas such as biodiversity conservation, renewable energy, and organic agriculture.
- Mitigate global warming and increase energy conservation by commercializing environmental technology, fostering sustainable enterprises, and developing innovative business and financing models.
- Develop the capacity of leaders and civil society to design, implement, and enforce sound social and ecological development policies in both rural and urban contexts, as well as all industrial sectors in China and around the world.
- Integrate environmental and economic problem-solving in China by facilitating local and international collaborations between government agencies, research institutions, private enterprises, and NGOs.
GEI-China has worked extensively in the fields of rural energy, biodiversity conservation, energy efficiency in industry and environmental governance
Environmental governance
Environmental governance is a concept in political ecology or environmental policy related to defining the elements needed to achieve sustainability. All human activities -- political, social and economic — should be understood and managed as subsets of the environment and ecosystems...
in China. In particular, it has made significant headway in spurring on unofficial, bilateral talks on climate change between the United States and China (please see page 3 of the latter reference). Moreover, it has paved the way for enforcing good environmental behavior by Chinese banks as ell as enterprises operating overseas, and enhancing land management policies in other developing countries.
GEI-China is one of a small number of NGOs based in China, and works closely with a number of important government and academic institutions in China (including the Ministry of Environmental Protection
Ministry of Environmental Protection
Ministry of Environmental Protection may refer to:*Ministry of Environmental Protection of Israel*Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People's Republic of China*Ministry of Environmental Protection of Mongolia...
, State Forestry Administration, Tibet Development Fund and Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University , colloquially known in Chinese as Qinghua, is a university in Beijing, China. The school is one of the nine universities of the C9 League. It was established in 1911 under the name "Tsinghua Xuetang" or "Tsinghua College" and was renamed the "Tsinghua School" one year later...
).
Programs
GEI-China's work falls into four main program areas: Sustainable Rural Development, Biodiversity Conservation, Energy and Climate Change and Environmental Governance.GEI-China's Sustainable Rural Development program works to incorporate successful commercial models to the development of rural communities. In particular, its projects focus clean renewable energy at the household and village level (e.g. biogas
Biogas
Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Organic waste such as dead plant and animal material, animal dung, and kitchen waste can be converted into a gaseous fuel called biogas...
, solar cookers) as well as organic farming
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
and rural finance. Project sites include Lijiang
Lijiang
Lijiang may refer to:*Lijiang, Yunnan , prefecture-level city in Yunnan Province, China*Old Town of Lijiang, World Heritage Site, in Lijiang City*Lijiang Naxi Autonomous County, formerly a county in Lijiang, Yunnan, China before 2002...
, Yunnan Province, the Tibet Autonomous Region
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
and Chebaling Nature Reserve in Guangdong Province (with UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
) in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, as well as five provinces in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
The Biodiversity Conservation program at GEI-China works to spur economic development of communities living near the buffer zones of nature reserves and promoting financial models that resolve conflicts between biodiversity conservation and local economic development. GEI has worked closely with county and provincial level governments to promote the Conservation Incentive Agreements model in the Fengtongzhai Nature Reserve in Baoxing County
Baoxing County
Baoxing County is one of the seven counties under the administration of Ya'an city, Sichuan Province, China. It is a vital geopolitical crossroad, transportation hub, and most importantly, a biodiversity hotspot and type locality for many endangered species, including Giant Panda,Dove tree,Chinese...
, Sichuan Province. In addition, the program team has worked with the Chinese government and Chinese timber enterprises in the publication and promotion of the "Guidelines on Sustainable Overseas Silviculture by Chinese Enterprises" (see below).
GEI-China's Energy and Climate Change program works towards the development of clean energy and energy efficient enterprises through market-oriented solutions. Its work in this area has included the promotion of energy service companies (ESCos) and capacity building for Clean Development Mechanism
Clean Development Mechanism
The Clean Development Mechanism is one of the "flexibility" mechanisms defined in the Kyoto Protocol . It is defined in Article 12 of the Protocol, and is intended to meet two objectives: to assist parties not included in Annex I in achieving sustainable development and in contributing to the...
(CDM) projects in China, particularly in the cement industry for energy efficiency retro-fitting.
GEI-China has also provided training subsidium for Chinese enterprises under their Eco-Entrepreneurship Training Project.
The use of energy efficiency in China's metallurgy industry and models for the bulk procurement of energy efficient products and technology has also been actively encouraged in selected Chinese cities. In addition, GEI has worked closely with Chinese and US government institutions to promote unofficial dialogue and cooperation on climate change (see article below).
Finally, GEI-China's Environmental Governance program works to provide capacity building on sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
for China's high-level decision makers, and to this effect it has worked closely with China's Central Communist Party School. The team also works to improve the environmental behavior of Chinese enterprises operating overseas through application of environmental tools such as Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental impact assessment
An environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects....
and payment for ecosystem services
Payment for ecosystem services
Payments for Ecosystem Services , also known as Payments for Environmental Services broadly defined, is the practice of offering incentives to farmers or landowners in exchange for managing their land to provide some sort of ecological service. These programmes promote the conservation of natural...
. In addition, it works closely with host countries to strengthen environmental policy. GEI is currently working with the Lao
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
National Land Management Authority to strengthen its land management law and enforcement.
During the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Madame Jiaman Jin, Executive Director of GEI-China, said that GEI will continue to follow the climate action framework set up by the Center for Climate Strategies, placing greater emphasis on the provincial and city prefecture level in China. In addition, GEI-China will actively facilitate South-South collaboration on rural energy, particularly on technologies like biogas, solar energy and energy efficient stoves.
Through the years, GEI-China has worked to develop local capacity, both by supporting and incubating new NGOs and training current and future government leaders through an environmental curriculum at the Central Party School of the Chinese Communist Party.
Partners
GEI-China has worked with a number of enterprises, government agencies and NGOs in implementing its projects. These include:National Development and Reform Commission
National Development and Reform Commission
The National Development and Reform Commission , formerly State Planning Commission and State Development Planning Commission, is a macroeconomic management agency under the Chinese State Council, which has broad administrative and planning control over the Chinese economy...
(China)
Ministry of Environmental Protection
Ministry of Environmental Protection
Ministry of Environmental Protection may refer to:*Ministry of Environmental Protection of Israel*Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People's Republic of China*Ministry of Environmental Protection of Mongolia...
(China)
State Forestry Administration (China)
Blue Moon Fund
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a foreign-policy think tank based in Washington, D.C. The organization describes itself as being dedicated to advancing cooperation between nations and promoting active international engagement by the United States...
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund , , is an international philanthropic organisation created and run by members of the Rockefeller family. It was set up in New York City in 1940 as the primary philanthropic vehicle of the five famous Rockefeller brothers: John D...
Worldwatch Institute
Worldwatch Institute
The Worldwatch Institute is a globally focused environmental research organization based in Washington, D.C. Worldwatch was named as one of the top ten sustainable development research organizations by Globescan Survey of Sustainability Experts.-Mission:...
,with the regular coordination of articles for the China Watch environmental news digest
The GEI-China Partnership Program assists international NGOs in developing environmental protection efforts in China and provides a platform for Chinese organizations and leaders to interact with and learn from environmental efforts of those outside of China. Some of these programs include:
GEI-China - Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation Partnership
The Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation (iCET), originally known as Auto Project on Energy and Climate Change, was launched in 2005 and aims to promote clean and energy efficient transportation technology and stringent fuel efficiency and vehicle emission regulations in China. iCET has now become an independent NGO that continues to receive financial and technical consulting from GEI.
GEI-China - Green River Partnership: Three Rivers Migration Study Project
In 2005, GEI-China and the Green River Environmental Protection Organization of Sichuan Province organized to implement the Three Rivers Migration Study. This partnership aims to facilitate public understanding of the regions changes, monitor government action and to develop information and recommendations to help the government improve its migration policy.
GEI-Americas
GEI-Americas (GEI-A) constituted the Americas-based program operations of GEI. GEI-A helped local entrepreneurs in emerging countries such as India, Brazil, China, and Peru develop sustainable enterprises that built on American entrepreneurial values and rewarded the conservation of rural ecosystems rich in biological diversity while leveraging economic transformations that open pathways for improvements in livelihoods for rural communities local to these regions.Publications
Comments on China's Policies and Actions Addressing Climate ChangeGuidelines on Sustainable Overseas Silviculture by Chinese Enterprises
Articles
China and U.S. Seek a Truce on Greenhouse GasesGreen rules eye Chinese firms abroad