On July 25, 2012, the Regulatory Assistance Project, along with the Energy Research Institute, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Energy Foundation China Sustainable Energy Program, organized a meeting in Beijing entitled “Workshop on Best Practices for Shale Gas Development in China: Policies and Technologies to Minimize Environmental Impacts.”

The workshop brought together experts from government, industry, NGOs, and academia from both China and the United States to discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by shale gas development and utilization in China.  Key Chinese decision makers, who will be charged with regulating the nascent shale gas industry, also participated in the workshop.

Participants discussed the impact of shale gas development on water, the legal and policy issues associated with oil and gas extraction, best practices and technologies for controlling methane, and how China can establish regulations and policies for shale gas development to avoid or minimize environmental impacts.

The meeting featured Joel Bluestein, Senior Vice President of ICF International. Mr. Bluestein presented his new paper, part of RAP’s Global Power Best Practice Series, entitled “New Natural Gas Resources and the Environmental Implications in the U.S., Europe, India, and China.”  ClimateWorks Foundation provided financial support for both Mr. Bluestein’s paper and for the Beijing workshop.