美国驻上海领事馆总领事Beatrice Camp开幕致辞

 ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests

It is a great pleasure to join you here today.  Suzhou has long been both a vital commercial hub and a place famed for its beautiful gardens.   Today Suzhou is the largest economy in Jiangsu Province and home to many of the world’s leading exporters of electronic equipment, chemicals, and textiles.  

Unfortunately, this kind of development comes at some environmental cost.  I am therefore delighted that Suzhou will host this new Environment, Health and Safety Academy to train factory managers on how to be better environmental stewards and protect their workers.  Just as Jiangsu Province has been one of the engines of China’s dynamic economic growth, this Environment, Health and Safety Academy can be a catalyst for environmental protection and for deepening the ties between Suzhou and the U.S.

The US Agency for International Development and the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) teamed up to create the first Environment, Health and Safety Academy in China in 2008. That academy in Guangdong has already trained more than 3,500 people in 21st century environment, health and safety management and practice.

The success of the environmental academy in Guangdong encouraged USAID and the Institute for Sustainable Communities to form a partnership with Nanjing University’s School of the Environment to establish a similar program in Jiangsu.  

This new academy is an indication of how closely the United States and China are working to tackle our common problems of energy use, climate change and environmental degradation.  The presence today of so many important leaders of the business, governmental, academic and NGO community is a sign of our commitment to work together on environmental issues.   These are not just local problems.  They concern us all.

I am especially pleased that the consulate is once again teaming up with GE, Alcoa and Pfizer in support of the environment.  These three companies were sponsors of the USA Pavilion, which welcomed over 7 million visitors during last year’s Shanghai Expo.   In the final part of our pavilion, visitors saw a simple story about a community working together to turn a vacant lot into a beautiful garden,symbolizing how we all have a role in improving our environment.   We were also the first national pavilion to be completely carbon-neutral, another small step to promoting a sustainable future.   

With your help and cooperation, we can make a difference.   As a city that values the beauty of nature, Suzhou is well placed to become a center of environmental protection and sustainable management.   I wish the Environment, Health and Safety Academy Jiangsu great success in this effort.   Thank you very much.