The Kick-off Meeting of the State Environmental Protection Engineering Center for Mercury Pollution Prevention and Control and its first expert consultation committee on technology and development were held in Beijing on March 15, 2014.

This center is the only national engineering technology center for environmental protection that specializes in mercury pollution prevention and control. Under the  of the Department of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), the center is joined by the Institute of High Energy Physics，Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences, Foreign Economic Cooperation Office，MEP, Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences, Shenyang Academy of Environmental Sciences and selected companies. Centering on the priorities of national environmental protection, the Center will conduct research on international convention implementation, environmental management, technology development, achievement utilization and commercialization. It will also help combine the "government, industry, academy and market" together, to strengthen the analysis of key problems in mercury related industries, improve policies, standards and the technical management system as well as promote the use of key technology for mercury pollution control. A platform for technical achievement utilization will be built to develop the engineering technology and management expertise for China’s mercury pollution prevention and control.

More than 60 officials, experts and representatives from industrial associations had intensive discussions over the mid- and long term objectives, main tasks, development strategy and plan for the Center。The near term priorities, division of duties were identified and the timetable and roadmap were developed. This meeting officially established the Center’s management committee and the Technology and Development Committee headed by academician Chai Zhifang and academician Jiang Guibing. The success of this meeting marked the start of the Center’s construction, which will provide technical support and services to China’s mercury pollution prevention and control and its implementation of the Minamata Convention. The construction of the Center is expected to be completed in 2 years.