A Memorandum of Understanding to support a new project focusing on developing and implementing provincial programs on climate change mitigation and adaptation has been signed between China, United Nations Development Programme and Norway.

Through a landmark US$2 million financial contribution from Norway, the project, entitled "The Provincial Climate Change Programme in China," is expected to be launched in mid 2007 by the National Coordination Committee on Climate Change of the National Development and Reform Commission and UNDP.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Wen Jiabao, Premier of China, and Jens Stoltenberg, Prime Minister of Norway, who was visiting China in March.

"The presence of the two top leaders shows the strong commitments of both governments to responding to the global challenge of climate change," said Khalid Malik, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in China, at the signing event.

The project will support efforts in seven provinces to implement China's national climate change program and take action on the findings of the recently issued National Climate Change Impact Assessment Report. This initiative will assist provincial governments in assessing potential risks posed by climate change and develop strategies and plans of action to respond to these specific challenges.