Limited spaces available. Join us on 30 March 2009 @ Langham Hotel, Auckland City
International Sustainable Cities Forum
Building Sustainable Cities
Bringing together government and corporate leaders from New Zealand and China to explore the challenges and opportunities of building sustainable cities. Held in conjunction with the 1st Anniversary of the signing of the China-NZ FTA.
China’s green revolution
Article in NZ Herald – 2 June 09 – exploring some opportunities arising as a result of the future challenges in the sustainability space.
China’s upcoming ‘Green Revolution’ has been tipped as a hot opportunity for New Zealand companies to promote their technologies in the sustainability space.
McKinsey’s China head Andrew Grant says the situation facing China as the growth in greenhouse gas emissions accelerates is “slightly terrifying” but presents plenty of opportunities.
“Today, China and the US roughly emit about seven gigatonnes of CO2 each year,” Grant said. “If you assume the current technology and GDP growth rate continues, in 2030 China ends up emitting 23 gigatonnes of CO2 each year.”
To arrest the growth in emissions China needs to switch from its dependence on coal to fuel the electricity plants that power its factories, and, shift to more renewable energy.
Tags: china, green, new zealand herald, sustainability, sustainable development
Another NZ Herald report on the Forum
Maker of igloo-houses looks to China
4:00AM Wednesday Apr 01, 2009
By Anne Gibson
A Mercer plastic igloo-house maker has been inspired by China’s biggest house builder.
Charles Bree, managing director of Polybreeze International, wanted to discuss his company’s cheap shelters with Wang Shi, chairman of China Vanke Co which has built 200,000 houses in China.
Polybreeze makes Breezepod houses from medium density polyethylene which sell from $9700 to about $15,000.
Bree said the product fitted with Wang’s interests in eco-friendly houses.
Tags: china, international sustainable cities forum, new zealand herald, vanke, wang shi
NZ Herald on the Forum
Tuesday Mar 31, 2009
By Anne Gibson
China’s answer to Donald Trump says New Zealand has a global reputation for building environmentally friendly houses.
Wang Shi is an ex-People’s Liberation Army soldier who now leads China’s country’s biggest house builder, China Vanke.
He was in Auckland yesterday to find out more about eco-friendly residential construction.
“New Zealand has developed excellent ‘green’ houses,” he said.” People know Europe, particularly Norway and Sweden, for environmentally sustainable buildings. But that’s so remote for China. We can learn something from New Zealand which is so much closer.”
Tags: china, export, international sustainable cities forum, investment, new zealand, new zealand herald, property, sustainable development, vanke, wang shi
John Key: Review will encourage investment into NZ
Source: NZ Herald 14 March 2009
The Prime Minister is keen to open the door to foreign investors.
In a speech to the Act Party conference today, John Key said a review of the Overseas Investment Act will be announced by Finance Minister Bill English next week.
The review aims to create an overseas investment screening regime that encourages investment into New Zealand while protecting sensitive land, assets and resources.
Tags: investment, john key, new zealand herald, property, recession
China’s ‘Godfather’ jetting here to talk property
The New Zealand Herald featured the International Sustainable Cities Forum in this article published on Tuesday 17 Feb.
The “Godfather” of the Chinese real estate industry is among a number of leading Chinese and Hong Kong business people attending a conference next month in Auckland which is one of a couple of initiatives underway to develop New Zealand’s business ties with China.
Among the 60 Chinese business people and officials attending the International Sustainable Cities Forum, is Wang Shi, chairman of Shenzhen-listed Vanke – China’s largest residential property developer with a market capitalisation of about US$10 billion.
Aside from his “Godfather” status, Wang has also been likened by Time magazine to US property magnate Donald Trump while the New York Times has called him a “tycoon adventurer in the mould of Sir Richard Branson”.
Tags: auckland, international sustainable cities forum, investment, new zealand herald, sustainable development, vanke, wang shi
International Sustainable Cities Forum 2009 is brought to you by New Zealand Chinese Herald and Euroasia. We also appreciate the support of McConnell Group, Framecad, China Urban Realty Association and The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in New Zealand.