The “SCO Environmental Information Sharing Platform” aims at developing an entity based platform for environmental cooperation, platform for policy dialogue and exchange, platform for exchange of environmental technologies and industrial cooperation, platform for scientific research and platform for capacity building in environmental protection as well as publicity and education under SCO framework. It will be developed into a core platform on environmental cooperation for SCO members, observers and partners and promote sustainable development and better environment quality of the region.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has made great progress in areas such as security, economy and human exchanges since its establishment. However, all SCO members are facing the challenge of degradation of eco environment. Some problems even cause regional and global concerns.

Improving ecological environment of the region is an important responsibility of SCO. The Declaration on the Establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization clearly state that environmental protection is one of cooperation priorities of SCO and it has been actively facilitating practical environmental cooperation and sustainable development in the region.

In 2013, the government leaders of SCO members said that we “must work together to continuously strengthen our environmental cooperation”. To this end, the leaders of China require accelerating the development of the SCO Environmental Information Sharing Platform. It aims at providing technical support to environmental cooperation and sustainable development of the region and jointly developing the “Green Silk Road”.

Objectives

The Project on Environmental Information Sharing Platform aims at jointly promoting sharing and application of information, knowledge, experience and technology on environmental protection of all members countries, observers and partners in the region; improving the capacity of each relevant country in environmental protection; enhancing regional coordination and cooperation, jointly addressing regional environmental challenges; developing the “green Silk Road Economic Zone” and promoting green development of the region. The specific objectives are the followings:

(1) Promoting cooperation and exchanges in areas such as policies, laws and regulations on environmental protection; prevention and control of pollution; ecological restoration and biodiversity conservation;

(2) Accelerating the development of information system on ecology and environmental protection, raising the efficiency and effectiveness of environmental management and improving the capacity of SCO in regional environmental protection;

(3)Facilitating innovation of environmental technologies and development of environmental protection industry and serving green economic development of the region.

Components

There are the following 5 components for the Project on Development of SCO Environmental Information Sharing Platform:

(1) Development of environmental data services. The platform will collect, exchange, manage, share, distribute and provide services for various kinds of large amount information on areas such as policies, laws and regulations on environmental protection, environmental standards, environmental status, environment news, strategic plan for environmental cooperation, joint study and training programs, environmental monitoring and statistic information, basic geographic information and remote sensing information，which mainly include the development of information security, information standard, data exchange system, data center and so on.

(2) Development of environmental information application system. Focusing on different kinds of environmental issues in different regions, the platform will develop relevant thematic information application service system and provide scientific and technical support to the improvement of regional environment.

(3) Development of the website for release and sharing of environmental information. Based on the requirements for the contents, form and format for release and sharing of the information, it will develop the systems that release relevant information from the government portal, public portal and mobile devices and provide information services for different users.

(4) Development of research and innovation platform for environmental information. It will develop the platform for technical exchanges and training; facilitate scientific development of environmental information and develop the platform that integrates production, learning, research, commercialization of findings, and formulation of standards and cultivation of talents.

(5) Development of infrastructure of the environmental information sharing platform. It will develop a video system with real-time communication and sharing of information, which will serve as a basic physical guarantee.

Implementation Plan

Stage I (2014-2017). With SCO members as the main body, national focal points and work mechanism will be established and the environmental information release platform will be developed after negotiations among SCO members.

Stage II (2017-2020). The platform will gradually cover observers, dialogue partners and other partners. It will achieve sharing of environmental information in SCO region and provide support to regional environmental cooperation and environmental protection of each country.

Stage III (2020 and after). The construction of regional environmental information sharing platform will be finished with good operation.

Service Targets

National environmental protection agencies, research institutes, enterprises and the public under the framework of SCO as well as relevant international organizations.

The premiers of SCO members say that we must work together to strengthen cooperation on environmental protection. Premier Li Keqiang requires that “each party should jointly develop SCO Cooperation Strategy for Environmental Protection, and establish an environmental information sharing platform based on the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Environmental Cooperation Center.”

―The 12^th Premier Meeting of SCO Countries in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on November 29, 2013

Financial Sources

The financial sources of the current project mainly include but not limited to the followings:

l  Funds from the Chinese Government;

l  Funds from members countries of SCO;

l  SCO Development Fund;

l  Funds of SCO Development Bank;

l  Funds from relevant financial institutions, foreign governments and international partners;

l  Donating funds from enterprises and civil organizations from each country.

All funds will be employed to support the implementation of the Information Sharing Platform project.