Sweden to seek UN Security Membership

Av Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Stockholm, Oct. 24(Greenpost)–Saturday marks the United Nations Day. Sweden is seeking a membership in the United Nations according to a statement from the Swedish government.

“We are celebrating the UN Day because we are doing so in a world that is more uncertain than for many years and in which the United Nations is needed more than ever. Global crises and challenges require common solutions.” the statement said.

Minister for International Development Co-operation, Ms Isabella Lövin, Prime Minister Mr Stefan Löfven, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms Margot Wallström
Minister for International Development Co-operation, Ms Isabella Lövin, Prime Minister Mr Stefan Löfven, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms Margot WallströmFoto: Martina Huber/Regeringskansliet

The statement explained that Sweden is ready to assume its share of responsibility. This is why Sweden is strengthening its engagement in the UN and why we are seeking a seat on the Security Council for 2017–2018.

The reason Sweden seeks the membership is that Sweden’s UN policy contributes to peace, security, sustainable development and gender equality. It is part of a solidarity-based foreign policy and a means for responding to crises that affect us.

Sweden is one of the top contributors to the UN. “We contribute personnel to peace operations, aid, climate financing and humanitarian assistance. Our contributions also include engagement, resources and ideas.” said the statement.

“We also set clear requirements for a modern, effective, transparent and legitimate United Nations that is equipped to meet future challenges and take advantage of future opportunities.” according to the statement.

IN-DEPTH China Focus: China to further loosen control on fuel prices

  • BEIJING, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) — China’s State Council, the country’s cabinet, on Thursday announced guidance in accelerating reform of pricing mechanisms. The government is poised to further marketize energy prices and loosen its control on prices of refined oil products.
    Energy experts point out that the time is ripe for further reform of the product oil pricing mechanism as China’s oil refining capacity keeps expanding and the supply of refined oil becomes abundant. However, concerns are hovering over the monopoly of China’s product oil market.

    — Adjustments of product oil pricing mechanism
    The reform will be the latest of a series of adjustments China has made in the past several years to marketize its product oil pricing mechanism.
    Compared with natural gas and electricity, China’s product oil pricing reform is a front runner. The government launched an initiative at the end of 2008 to reform the pricing mechanism of refined oil products, which aimed to make the market play a bigger role in deciding product oil prices.
    The reform was amid a shortage of product oil supply in China. The new mechanism, which pegged domestic product oil prices more closely with international crude oil prices, boosted oil refiners’ performance and increased product oil supply in the country.
    However, the pricing mechanism was criticized for its lack of transparency, especially after international crude oil prices climbed to the high level over the years.
    To improve the product oil pricing mechanism, China made several adjustments in March 2013, shortening the adjustment cycle to 10 working days and lowering the price-change trigger to 50 yuan per tonne.

    — Time for further reform
    Under the current product oil pricing mechanism, prices of refined oil products are still controlled by the government. Experts point out that the time is ripe for further reform.
    China’s oil refining capacity expanded fast during the 12th Five-year Plan period (2011-2015), which resulted in the abundant and sometimes excessive supply of refined oil. China should change the produce oil pricing mechanism along with the change in the market, said Yao Daming, a member of the Guangdong Oil and Gas Association.
    Prices of refined oil in China are expected to remain at a low level as the international crude oil supply continues to grow while demand growth is likely to be limited. Low crude prices will be beneficial for Chinese refiners looking to turn around and for further reform of China’s product oil pricing mechanism, according to Lin Boqiang, an energy expert with Xiamen University.

    — Concern over monopoly
    China’s product oil market is highly monopolized. China’s two largest oil refiners, PetroChina (PTR.NYSE; 00857.HK; 601857.SH) and Sinopec Corp. (SNP.NYSE; 00386.HK; 600028.SH), produce over 80 percent of China’s total product oil output.
    According to the two companies’ interim reports, PetroChina produced 46.475 million tonnes of gasoline, diesel and kerosene, and Sinopec Corp.’s output stood at 74.75 million tonnes in the first half of the year. Their combined output accounted for 81.6 percent of China’s total output of refined oil during the period.
    Many analysts are concerned that if the pricing of refined oil is fully marketized, the two refining giants will have a decisive say.
    China needs a systematic reform in order to achieve the real marketization of the product oil pricing mechanism, said Lin.
    Yao said the government should open the upstream of the oil and gas sector as well oil pipelines to private firms and improve oil futures and spot trade so that market players can have an opportunity to compete fairly. Enditem

  • Editor Xuefei Chen Axelsson

 

China’s grid-connected wind power capacity to reach 120 TW by end-2015

BEIJING, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) — China’s installed capacity of wind power generation facilities that are connected to the power grid had reached 105 TW by the end of June and is estimated to reach 120 TW by the end of this year, according to Zhu Ming, vice deputy of the Department of New Energy and Renewable Energy of the National Energy Administration (NEA).
The 13th Five-year Plan period (2016-2020) will be a key period for China’s adjustment of the energy supply mix and the development of renewable energy, said Zhu.
The Chinese government has set a target to boost the share of non-fossil fuels in the country’s primary energy consumption to 15 percent by the end of 2020.

丹麦将在2020年实现集体供暖20%来自太阳能

北欧绿色邮报网报道(记者陈雪霏)--据瑞丹边界的跨海大桥额雷顺德消息,丹麦不但在风能方面在世界领先,而且在太阳能方面也名列前茅。

丹麦《工程师》杂志报道说,丹麦计划在2020年,就是5年后实现集体供暖方面的能源使用20%来自太阳能。

这主要得益于从2016年开始,国家将大幅度投资于太阳能安装使用,太阳能成本将大幅下降。

 

瑞典语如下:

En femtedel av dansk fjärrvärme kommer från sol år 2020

I en ny prognos från Dansk Fjernvarme håller solenergi på att ersätta naturgas som stor energikälla. Det rapporterar branschtidningen Ingeniøren. Fram till 2020 väntas solenergi växa till att omfatta en femtedel av den danska fjärrvärmeproduktionen.

Från början av 2015 till slutet av 2016 väntas den samlade arealen med solfångare ha ökat med 85 procent till 580 000 kvadratmeter. En orsak till den snabba tillväxten är de bidrag som utgår för anläggningar som blir klara fram till 2016.

Under de senaste fyra åren har kostnaderna för solenergi halverats. Det har lett till att Danmark kan storsatsa på ytterligare en grön energikälla utöver vindkraft och som väntas fortsätta växa även när de statliga bidragen försvinner.

中国电影展将在斯德哥尔摩举行

北欧绿色邮报网报道(记者陈雪霏)--据中国驻瑞典大使馆微信,为庆祝中瑞建交65周年,让瑞典民众和旅瑞华人华侨了解和欣赏当代中国电影,中国驻瑞典大使馆将于11月4日-8日在斯德哥尔摩举办中国电影展。

IMG_0951 (1)中国驻瑞典文化处参赞浦正东在接受北欧绿色邮报网电话采访时表示,本次中国电影展是中国广电总局和瑞典文化部的一次交流合作。中国电影展将在瑞典电影学院举办。

参加本次电影展的有三部片子,4日开幕式首次放映的是《大圣归来》。11月5日放映《破风》,体育影片,在国内上映一周后,《破风》的票房破亿。11月7日放映喜剧片《洋妞到我家》,11月8日再次放映《大圣归来》。

电影大厦Filmhuset坐落在 Borgvägen 1-5。Gärdet大草坪边上。欢迎华人华侨来看中国电影。

具体时间:11月4日 15:30-17:30放映《大圣归来》,凭请柬入场。

11月5日 18:30-21:00 《破风》

11月7日 17:00-19:00 《洋妞到我家》

11月8日 17:00-19:00《大圣归来》

欢迎各界友人前往观看。