尊敬的阮成发市长及政府成员，女士们先生们：

　　非常荣幸为这次聚会致辞，特别是贵市被选为中部地区可持续发展城市的示范城市。我致以衷心的祝贺。并再次表示感谢贵市给予友好城市阿纳姆的盛情。
　　武汉和阿纳姆有很多共同点。我们都在为营造城市的可持续发展环境而努力。这是我们肩上的重担。世界蕴含的矿石燃料，油，气和炭正在被逐渐消耗殆尽。　　当我们燃烧这些物质的时候，二氧化碳和其它污染物都被排放出来。正是因为这些污染物的排放，造成全球的气候变化。全世界都有义务采取措施来应对气候的变化。为此，我们正在发展可再生性能源，并采取可持续的生产方法，减少对环境的影响。
　　在这点上，阿纳姆市作出了很多积极的成绩。
　　在我们的经济发展中，能源和环境技术是非常重要的因素。对那些为清洁和经济的未来做出贡献的企业，我们都给予了优惠政策。他们生产出来的产品让我们可以使用后备能源，例如太阳能，使用清洁能源，例如氢 ，从而减少对自然资源的影响。
　　下面我会举一些例子：
　　- 在阿纳姆，内陆的软木经过处理后能达到硬木的质量。做此项工作的公司被授予荷兰奖章，这个奖是专门颁给最具可持续发展特点的生产技术。处理过的木头不会膨胀或缩水。能防腐并能得到免费维护。通过重新栽植，倒掉的树木能在原位复植，因此能减少热带雨林中硬木的接缝。例如，这些木头被用于门和门柱的制作，
　　- 另一项阿纳姆的产品是太阳能电池箔。非常薄的一层-是人的头发的四十分之一-将光能转化为电能。柔韧性好且不易碎的箔被用于制作屋顶覆盖材料。
　　- 而且，我们拥有企业链以及知识机构，使氢的利用成为可能。例如，通过建立将天然气转化为氢的生成器和生产燃料电池，将氢转化为能量。在去年底，一处氢气实验室在我们的理工学院建成，这里的学生对氢气具备实践知识和经验。我们研制和测试氢气装置以及车辆。在阿纳姆，我们正在将小轿车，卡车，公汽和叉车转化成依靠氢气行驶。2009年5月1日，第一所荷兰公共氢气加气站将在阿纳姆建成，至少会有氢气小轿车在路上行驶。这些无噪音的小车不会排放二氧化碳。氢气的生产是无限的，它成为了一种无污染的后备燃料。
　　女士们先生们，我们从太阳，风和氢气中发展清洁能源，并生产能使用这些能源的车辆和装置，这些都是在逐步实现可持续发展。不过，我们必须将其用于实际。一家工程公司正在阿纳姆建立总部，名为“能源之家”，只使用清洁能源。
　　一处小区的10家新住所将会使用氢能源照明和取暖。我们正使其变为可能。
　　不仅如此，我们认为提供好的，健康的居住环境是我们的职责所在。传统上，阿纳姆是一个拥有很多自然风光，树木和公园的城市。超过100平方千米的面积上，有35平方千米的林地和风景地，5平方千米的公园和另外5平方千米的运动和休闲公园。因此，阿纳姆有45%的绿化面积。
　　荷兰政府需要更加清洁的产业和车辆。这个要求是相当迫切的。空气质量没有恶化，并最终得到改善。在我们的市中心，交通非常拥挤，我们通过保证通畅的车流从而改善空气质量。市中心的交通信号灯保持较长的绿灯时间；市中心以外的交通信号灯则保持较长的红灯时间。我们正在调查是否有可能禁止高污染的卡车和大篷货车穿过市中心。
　　提高空气质量对我们的国家是一项巨大的挑战，在41.500平方千米的面积上，有1600万居民和700万辆小车，这相当于每平方千米有394户居民。我进一步意识到这个任务对于贵市愈发困难。贵市的居民和人口密度相对更大些。
　　武汉和阿纳姆都面临着可持续发展方面的挑战。明年，武汉和阿纳姆的友好关系就进入第十年了。这是一个可持续发展的关系。在这方面，我们能开展共同的活动和项目。我们热情的欢迎在武汉生产可持续发展的产品和技术的企业能与阿纳姆的企业共同合作。
　　谢谢你们！

Speech by Councillor Rita Weeda
During the Mayor's Forum on ‘A Sustainable Environment in the City’
At the Expo Central China 2008, Wuhan

[The honourable Mayor Mr. Ruan Chengfa] 
and members of the City Council,
　　Ladies and gentlemen,

　　It is an honour to address this gathering, particularly as your city of Wuhan has been designated as the model city for sustainable development in Central China. My sincere congratulations. I would like to express my gratitude for the hospitality offered again to your Dutch partner city, Arnhem.

　　Wuhan and Arnhem have much in common. We are both working on the sustainable development of our cities. It is a heavy obligation resting on our shoulders. The world stocks of fossil fuels, oil, gas and coal, are being depleted. When we burn them, CO2 and other pollutants are released. Because of these emissions, the global climate is changing. It is the responsibility of the world community to counteract climate change. To do so, we are developing renewable energy sources and adopting sustainable production methods, in order to reduce the impact on the environment.

　　In this regard, the city of Arnhem is active on many fronts.

　　Energy and environmental technology are vital sectors in our economic development. We favour companies that contribute to a clean, economical future. They make products that enable us to utilise alternative energy sources, such as solar energy, to produce and use clean energy carriers, such as hydrogen, or to reduce the impact on natural resources.

　　Allow me to mention a few examples:

　　- In Arnhem, inland soft wood is treated to give it the quality of hardwood. The company that does this received the Netherlands Prize for the most sustainable production technology. The treated wood does not swell or shrink. It is resistant to rotting and is virtually maintenance free. The felled trees are replaced through replanting, thereby reducing the felling of hardwood in tropical rain forests. The wood is used for doors and doorposts, for example.

　　- Another Arnhem-based product is solar cell foil. An extremely thin layer – 40 times as thin as a human hair – converts light into electricity. The flexible, unbreakable foil is used in roof-covering materials. 

　　- Additionally, we have a chain of Arnhem companies and knowledge institutions that have made the application of hydrogen possible – for example, by building generators that convert natural gas into hydrogen and by producing fuel cells, a system that converts hydrogen into energy. A hydrogen laboratory opened late last year at our polytechnic, where students acquire practical knowledge of and experience with hydrogen. We develop and test hydrogen devices and vehicles. In Arnhem, we are converting cars, a lorry, a bus and a forklift truck to run on hydrogen. On 1 May 2009, the first public hydrogen filling station in the Netherlands will open in Arnhem, with at least four hydrogen cars on the roads. These silent cars do not emit CO2. Production of hydrogen is infinite, offering a clean alternative to fossil fuels. 

　　We are creating sustainable development, ladies and gentlemen, by generating clean energy from the sun, wind and hydrogen; and by developing vehicles and devices that can utilise this type of energy. However, we must also make use of them in practice. An  engineering firm is building a new head office ‘The House of Energy’ in Arnhem, utilising only clean energy sources.
　　
　　A block of ten new dwellings in a new housing estate will be lighted and heated using hydrogen. We are demonstrating that this is possible.

　　Moreover, we consider it our duty to provide a good, healthy residential and living environment. Traditionally, Arnhem is a city with much natural beauty, woods and parks. Of the total surface area of more than 100 square kilometres, there are 35 square kilometres of woodland and scenic areas, 5 square kilometres of parks and another 5 square kilometres of sport and recreation parks. Forty-five percent of Arnhem’s surface area is therefore green.

　　The Dutch government wants cleaner industry and vehicles. The requirements are increasingly stringent. Air quality may not deteriorate and, ultimately, must improve. In our city centre, where traffic is the heaviest, we are improving air quality by ensuring that traffic flows more freely. Traffic lights in the city centre stay green for longer periods; traffic lights outside the city centre stay longer on red. We are investigating whether it would be possible to ban high-pollution lorries and vans from the city centre.

　　Raising air quality is a major challenge for our country, with its 16 million inhabitants and seven million cars on a surface area of 41.500 (forty one and a half thousand) square kilometres, equivalent to 394 inhabitants per square kilometre. I am well aware of the fact that this task is even more difficult for you. The number of your inhabitants and population density is relatively much higher.

　　Wuhan and Arnhem both face the challenge of sustainable development of our cities. Next year, the relationship between Wuhan and Arnhem will celebrate its 10th anniversary. It is a sustainable relationship. In this area, too, we can set up joint activities and projects. We warmly welcome companies in Wuhan, which develop sustainable products and technologies, to work together with companies in Arnhem!

　　Thank you for your attention.