Nachricht | International / Transnational - Alternatives to Society - Socio-ecological Transformation - Analysis of Capitalism - Asia - Western Europe Concepts & Alternative Path of Sustainable Development in China

Summary of the «4th China-EU Social Ecological and Legal Forum». By Sun Wei.

Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung Beijing in cooperation with Renmin University and Capital University of Economics and Business held the «4th China-EU Social Ecological and Legal Forum» on September 24-25, 2014 in Beijing. With the topic of Urban Transportation and Environment Regulation: Concepts & Alternative Path of Sustainable Development, the Forum has seen active participation from over 50 Chinese and European experts.

The public demand for better quality of life including more comfortable and convenient transportation has been growing along with modernization and urbanization in China. Such questions as what is sustainable or green transportation and how to achieve the balance between the increasing demand and limitation of environmental resources are in urgent need to be explored and answered. Complicated as the problem of transportation is, the Forum provided a platform for exchange of opinions from multi-disciplinary perspectives including legislation, technology, public administration, social welfare and even history and philosophy. However, the obvious consensus has been found that sustainable transportation should be oriented on the provision of public transportation which should be more accessible, affordable and ecologically friendly.

Prof Hermann Knoflacher from Vienna University of Technology challenged the stereotyped conception of «better» transportation based on mobile cars in his presentation of «Paradigm Change in Transportation and Urban Planning Practical Experience». Prof Cai Shouqiu of Wuhan University called for attentions to construction of public roads so as to reach justice in sharing public transportation. Prof Huan Qingzhi of Peking University criticized the tendency of marketization in favor of private car ownership and development of automobile industry, and proposed ecological entrepreneurship in developing public transportation. Dr. Winfried Wolf, chief editor of Lunapark21, also shared his criticism on global market economy that is transferring car society from the West to developing countries like China. Chinese top researchers from the central level think tanks such as National People’s Congress Environmental and Resources Committee and Development Research Center of the State Council also delivered speeches about construction of low-carbon transportation in relationship with strategic regional planning.

All the participants appreciated those presentations from various perspectives and interactive discussions on specific issues like feasibility of congestion fee. The conference has been publicly reported on Chinese media right after the convention.