Remarks by Jim Gradoville
CSUS /UTC Signing Ceremony
July 11, 2009, The Victories Hotel, Harbin

Thank you, (recognize name of the MC)

Vice Minister Qiu
Mr. Li Xun
Media friends

Da Jia Hao! (Welcome, everyone)

It is our great honor to have Vice Minister Qiu and media friends to join China Society of Urban Studies (CSUS) and United Technologies Corporation (UTC) for the signing ceremony today.

We applaud commitment and relentless efforts made by MoHURD under the leadership of Vice Minister Qiu in promoting buildings energy efficiency in China. Also, we recognize that MoHURD has greatly gone beyond green building initiative to encourage Eco-city concept and practice in China, which, we see, as the path to help realize a sustainable urban development in China.

UTC is pleased to team up with the Chinese Society of Urban Studies (CSUS), China’s leading national organization dedicated to research, public education, policy recommendation and demo project facilitation in the area of sustainable urban development and planning  to launch the “Eco-city Assessment and Best Practices Program” today.  UTC initiated this Corporate Social Responsibility program for we belief is that “Successful businesses improve the human condition”; this belief guides our performance and is integrated into everything we do.

China is critically important to UTC and we have a history here dating from more than a century ago. Otis installed its first elevator in Hong Kong in 1888, and in Shanghai in 1907. Carrier's first installation was in Shanghai in 1911 and was a dehumidification system in a silk spinning mill. UTC has become an integral part of China’s business community, and wants to contribute towards China’s growth and urban development.

This program is designed to leverage our resources and expertise on green building, energy efficiency, etc. Because UTC is the global leading equipment supplier to buildings and buildings worldwide consume more than a third of our planet's energy annually, the issue of sustainable cities goes right to our business. Because our products are long lived and we operate all over the globe, they account for as much as two percent of the greenhouse gas emissions worldwide every year. UTC believes passionately in the opportunities for energy efficiency gains as well as the other opportunities to make cites more sustainable.

As you can see from the Program brochure you have in your hand and as Mr. Li Xun just described, this is a multi-year program. We will start the first year by conducting a pilot with a relatively small number of cities.  We understand the Program will not be perfect particularly in the first year hence we will be constantly seeking your comments and adjust the Program down the path.

A sustainable urban development calls for a holistic and strategic approach. This also requires all of us to join hands to achieve the goal. By saying that, we, together with the CSUS, MoHURD look forward to our partnership and in the future expanding this partnership to make the Program successful and make the cities we are living more sustainable!

Thank you!