Peter Loscher,born in 1957, is President and CEO of Siemens AG. He was the first top executive in the 160 year history of Siemens to be hired from outside the company.
There's a delightful Chinese proverb that describes sustainability very well: "One generation plants the trees, the next enjoys the shade." Today, we can legitimately ask ourselves whether our children and their children really will "enjoy shade," considering the challenges we face, particularly in mega-cities like Shanghai.
More than half of the world's population now lives in urban areas. While one-fifth of global GDP is generated by the world's 10 economically most important cities, they also account for three-quarters of global energy consumption and 80?percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
Clearly, the battle against climate change and the campaign for sustainability will be fought in cities. The theme of World Expo 2010 Shanghai rings true: "Better City, Better Life." It implies that if we manage to make cities more sustainable, then we can improve the quality of life for all.
Expo 2010 is a unique opportunity for Shanghai to take the lead in China's transition to a sustainable economy. Siemens is helping Shanghai and China do this. We are in the business of providing sustainable infrastructure solutions. Long before this idea became anchored in public awareness, our company's founder said: "I will never sell my company's future for short-term gain."
In 1879, Siemens delivered China's first power generator to light the busy Shanghai Port, which enabled around-the-clock operation. In 1904, we opened our first permanent office in China, in Shanghai, and this marked the beginning of our commitment to the city for generations to come. We have kept that early commitment to Shanghai to this day.
At Expo 2010, Shanghai is setting a new standard in sustainability for major events. As the official "Global Partner for Innovative Infrastructure and Healthcare of World Expo 2010 Shanghai China" and "Global Partner for Lighting," Siemens fully supports this effort and the "Green Guidelines" of Expo 2010, and we are contributing sustainable solutions in a wide range of areas, including transportation, buildings, lighting, energy supply, healthcare, water, waste, and safety and security.
As cities around the world struggle to tackle issues such as traffic congestion, pollution, inadequate energy supply and other infrastructure deficiencies, it is clear that no one can do this alone. Cities must exchange information, share best practices, and learn from one another, from experts and from private enterprises.
In the run up to the Expo 2010, Siemens will cooperate with Chinese partners in "urban resources efficiency profiling." This method has been a great success in Europe. It supports city planners in drawing up a road map for increasing their city's sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint.
For example, we sponsored the sustainability study "Munich - Paths Toward a Carbon-Free Future." Key findings of this study will be incorporated in the climate plan of the city of Munich. We've also commissioned a further study of this kind for the so-called European Green City Index, where we will benchmark the sustainability of 30 European metropolises.
In short, thought leadership is just as important as technology leadership in developing sustainable urban infrastructures. Today, more than ever, cities need partners who know how the infrastructures of cities work, which levers have greatest potential, and which technologies are most effective.
With its rich and diverse culture, its dynamic economy, and its industrial and its technological capabilities, Shanghai plays a pivotal role in the development of China and Southeast Asia, and clearly it has the potential to be China's role model in sustainable development.
I am confident that Shanghai will proudly showcase this potential at Expo 2010, and then lead China's sustainable development in the decades to come - so that China's future generations "enjoy the shade."
提起可持續(xù)發(fā)展,中國有句老話形容得很貼切:“前人栽樹,后人乘涼”。而今,尤其是當(dāng)我們生活在像上海這樣的特大型城市中并且面臨種種挑戰(zhàn),我們不由地要捫心自問,我們的孩子以及他們的后代,將來是否可以真正實(shí)現(xiàn)“后人乘涼”?今天,世界上有超過一半的人口居住在城市,全球五分之一的國內(nèi)生產(chǎn)總值是由10大經(jīng)濟(jì)最發(fā)達(dá)的城市所創(chuàng)造的。但與此同時(shí),城市卻消耗了全球能源的四分之三,并釋放了全球80%的溫室氣體。顯而易見,一場對(duì)抗氣候變化、推進(jìn)可持續(xù)發(fā)展的戰(zhàn)役將在城市打響。2010年中國上海世博會(huì)的主題——“城市,讓生活更美好”恰恰印證了這一點(diǎn),它預(yù)示著,只有實(shí)現(xiàn)城市的可持續(xù)發(fā)展,我們才能全面提高生活品質(zhì)。
中國2010年上海世博會(huì)為上海提供了一個(gè)絕佳的機(jī)會(huì),引領(lǐng)中國向可持續(xù)經(jīng)濟(jì)轉(zhuǎn)型。而西門子正助力上海和中國達(dá)成這一目標(biāo)。我們的核心業(yè)務(wù)就是提供可持續(xù)基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施的解決方案,而可持續(xù)性也是西門子長期發(fā)展中所秉承的一貫準(zhǔn)則。早在這一觀念成為廣泛共識(shí)之前,我們的創(chuàng)始人就曾經(jīng)說過:“我絕不為短期利益出賣公司的未來!”1879年,西門子就向中國提供了第一臺(tái)蒸汽發(fā)電機(jī),用于繁忙的上海港照明。1904年,我們?cè)谏虾TO(shè)立了中國第一家永久辦事處,這標(biāo)志著我們對(duì)上海長期承諾的開端。至今,我們?nèi)匀汇∈爻兄Z。
以2010年世博會(huì)為契機(jī),上海將為舉辦大型活動(dòng)設(shè)立新的“可持續(xù)”標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。作為“中國2010年上海世博會(huì)創(chuàng)新性基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施和醫(yī)療保健全球合作伙伴”以及“中國2010年上海世博會(huì)照明全球合作伙伴”,西門子將全力支持上海的這一努力以及2010年世博會(huì)的“綠色方針”,我們提供的可持續(xù)解決方案遍及各大領(lǐng)域,包括交通、樓宇、照明、供電、醫(yī)療、供水、廢水處理以及安保。
現(xiàn)在,全球的城市都在致力于解決一些困擾它們的難題,諸如交通擁堵、污染、能源供應(yīng)不足以及其他基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施匱乏等。然而,很明顯,沒有哪一個(gè)城市能僅靠自己的能力來解決這一切。城市之間必須相互交流信息、分享經(jīng)驗(yàn),向其他城市、專家學(xué)者和公司企業(yè)學(xué)習(xí)。
在世博會(huì)來臨之際,西門子就將與中方伙伴一起開展在“城市資源有效利用模型”方面的合作。這一模型已經(jīng)在歐洲取得了巨大的成功。通過這一合作,西門子攜手政府為城市描繪未來發(fā)展藍(lán)圖,以期降低能源消耗,提高城市可持續(xù)發(fā)展能力。例如,我們支持了“實(shí)現(xiàn)慕尼黑零碳排放研究報(bào)告”,該研究報(bào)告的主要結(jié)論將被納入到慕尼黑城市的氣候方案中。類似的,我們還啟動(dòng)了一項(xiàng)名為“歐洲綠色城市指數(shù)”的深入研究,在這一研究中,我們將對(duì)30座歐洲城市的可持續(xù)發(fā)展能力進(jìn)行評(píng)估。
簡而言之,在發(fā)展城市可持續(xù)基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施方面,思維領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力與科技領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力同樣重要。今天,比起以往任何時(shí)候,城市都更需要這樣的合作伙伴:他們了解城市基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施如何運(yùn)作,能夠通過最有效的科技幫助城市發(fā)掘其最大的潛能。
憑借著豐富多元的文化、蓬勃發(fā)展的經(jīng)濟(jì)以及雄厚的工業(yè)和科技實(shí)力,上海在中國和東南亞的發(fā)展中起著至關(guān)重要的作用,并顯然具備了成為中國可持續(xù)發(fā)展示范城市的潛力。我相信,在中國2010年上海世博會(huì)上,上海將驕傲地向世界展示這一實(shí)力,并在今后數(shù)十年中,引領(lǐng)中國的可持續(xù)發(fā)展,從而在中國真正實(shí)現(xiàn)“后人乘涼”。