The Shanghai Expo Bureau, along with a few Shanghai government agencies, has launched a plan and a dedicated website to turn the 2010 World Expo into a low-carbon event by means of VER (Voluntary Emission Reductions) action.
Expo Voluntary Emission Reductions (VER)
The interactive Expo VER website offers help and suggestions for both individuals and enterprises, along with relevant news, information and downloads, feedback and query forms, and intimation of events.
There’s also a guide explaining VER standards and how to live a low-carbon lifestyle. You can start by using the individual carbon emission calculator to find out how much carbon you are responsible for. Follow up on that by finding out how you can reduce it using VER action procedure.
Expo officials said that during the first one month alone, use of green technologies had saved 12,700 tons of carbon emissions at the Expo, which would otherwise not have been possible using conventional technology.
Sun Jian, vice director of Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau, said that “Since the Expo opened on May 1, the solar photovoltaic power inside the zone has generated 1.2 million kilowatt-hours and water cooling technologies saved 5.64 million kilowatt-hours of power on air conditioning.”
The Expo is also on track to be a completely carbon-neutral event. Using aforementioned green technologies and by greening vast areas of land, 60 to 70 percent of carbon emissions will be offset before the event ends on October 31. The balance will be compensated for within 4-5 years.
432 new vehicles at the Expo use clean energy for fuel, and 60 percent of the road surfaces are made of construction garbage and steel slag.
Clean Energy vehicles at Expo
But it’s not just about a ‘Green Expo’ or learning about conservation, but in some areas also a necessity. For example, the daily output of tap water in Shanghai is 10 million tons but the daily water consumption has already hit 9 million tons, and is very close to the maximum limit.
New technologies and methods on display at the Expo – such as collecting and recycling rainwater on roofs – will help ease the pressure on water supply if properly applied to urban construction and setup of low-carbon industries. The use of solar walls, roof gardens and electric vehicles will conserve energy, cut costs and reduce the smog.
These are all immediate benefits which can be pushed out from the exhibits at the Expo and straight into daily life in Shanghai. To learn more, visit the VER website at www.2010expover.org.
