UNDP (United Nations Development Program) and CICETE (China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges) have entered into cooperation with Shanghai Municipal Government in supporting Shanghai municipality to improve its environmental performance and assist Shanghai to be a widely recognized Environmentally Friendly City.

The program includes: 1) design and implement an Environmentally Friendly City Index (EFCI) system; 2) integrate environmental concerns into development planning and decision making through the use of the EFCI; 3) public awareness building; 4) establish private sector and sister city partnership forum for environmental sustainability and 5) launch a series of pilot projects led by Shanghai World Expo 2010.

The Environmentally Friendly City Index (EFCI) will serve to track and evaluate Shanghai’s progress in urban construction, management and development, and it will also be a monitoring tool to collect, organize and verify its environmental progress towards achieving the Three-Year Action Plan, Five-Year Master Plan and MDG 7, so as to guide and improve the city’s environmental management, as well as to provide substantial information for decision making and public participation. A preliminary framework of an EFCI system based on the past preparation work has been completed. In this project component, an improved EFCI system will be established and put into practice.

Coordinated with UNDP, UNEP, CICETE, Shanghai EPB, and other involving partners, the EFC Project Management Office will take lead in project collaboration, monitoring project progress, promoting project results, and ensuring that the Environmentally Friendly City Recognition Criteria will be met all in an effort to efficiently support the goals and objectives to build Shanghai into an internationally recognized and accepted Environmentally Friendly City by 2010 in preparation for the World Expo.