Environment China

China recently released its official NDC, or Nationally Determined Contribution document, laying out a commitment to reduce carbon emissions ‘from peak’ by 7-10% by 2035. The document was widely seen as disappointing. Now that the NDC and the initial reactions are out, it’s time to take a step back and evaluate the bigger picture. What does this target really mean? What does the NDC signal about China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, or for its major emitting sectors such as coal power or coal-to-chemicals? What impact did climate diplomacy or weakened/withdrawn climate commitments from other economies have on China’s NDC? Is there a chance that China will use other policies to ‘enhance its ambition’? Our guest today is Kate Logan  Director, China Climate Hub and Climate Diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute. Logan is also a Fellow with ASPI’s Center for China Analysis. Her work focuses on enhancing climate progress across Asia and in China especially, including by supporting the international community’s enga

In this special episode of the podcast, Calvin Quek interviews the BEN podcast's longtime host, Anders Hove. Topics covered include how Anders came to China, his formative experiences working in China at the China Greentech Initiative, and how he got involved in the podcast. He even gives us his all time favorite episode (see link below).  Calvin also discusses with Anders the topic of innovation in China's clean energy space, covered in a major paper Anders published last year at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES). This is a wide-ranging discussion, so here are a few links to help you follow along, based on things that were mentioned in the podcast: Anders Hove, 'Clean energy innovation in China: fact and fiction, and implications for the future', Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, 2024. https://www.oxfordenergy.org/publications/clean-energy-innovation-in-china-fact-and-fiction-and-implications-for-the-future/ 'Global Energy Interconnection: The Dawn of a Global Power Grid?' Environment China

Green finance has been a hot topic for several years, and in some respects China is an overall leader in green finance -- at least in terms of the overall volume of green bonds and green loans. More green finance products are coming out at a steady stream. So what does all this mean for China's energy transition? Has it really helped, and is it contributing to greening China's investments abroad? In today's podcast, we talk to longtime Beijing Energy Network green finance guru Calvin Quek about these and other questions. Calvin is the Executive Director, Nature Finance, Oxford Sustainable Finance Group, and he is also Director at Transition Asia. Previously he was Senior Environmental Specialist at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing. We specifically discuss a column Calvin authored together with Mathias Larsen, Research Associate at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and Non-resident Fellow at the Green Finance and Development Center at Fudan Unive

In the latest episode of Environment China's podcast, we speak to Jialu Zuo. Jialu is a sustainability specialist at China National Aviation Fuel Group (CNAF), focusing on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and international engagement. She holds dual Master’s degrees in Public Policy for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), jointly awarded by Tsinghua University (Beijing) and the University of Geneva (Switzerland). She earned her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from Renmin University of China.   This episode is in Chinese and is produced by our Executive Producer Xiaodan Yuan (Joyce).   在环境中国最新一期的播客中，我们邀请到了左佳鹭 —— 佳鹭目前在能源央企做管培生，主要负责可持续航空燃料和企业的国际业务。她毕业于清华大学公共管理学院和日内瓦大学的可持续发展国际公共政策的双硕士项目。她曾在联合国贸易与发展会议担任可持续金融研究员，同时，佳鹭也是清华大学零碳未来青年协会的共同发起人。播客制作人：袁小丹。

In today's episode of Environment China, we’re doing something a little bit different, cross-posting a recording of a panel hosted by the Asia Society Policy Institute’s China Climate Hub. This panel discussion explores China’s latest emission trends, clean energy deployment, relationship with the global south, position at COP30, and impact of the U.S.-China trade war on the global energy transition. The speakers are Kate Logan, director of China Climate Hub at Asia Society Policy Institute; Lauri Myllyvirta, non-resident senior fellow of China Climate Hub at Asia Society Policy Institute; and Anders Hove, senior research fellow at Oxford Institute for Energy Studies’ China Programme. Asia Society Policy Institute’s China Climate Hub Director Li Shuo moderates the conversation. The original recording may be found in video format on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZWFTO2lO9w&t=1139s

In this episode of Environment China, we are talking about China’s long-term pathway to carbon neutrality and, in particular, about the recent publication of the China Energy Transformation Outlook, or CETO, which provides two scenarios of China’s clean energy transition. We talk to Kaare Sandholt, International Chief Expert for the China Energy Transformation Programme. The programme is run by the Energy Research Institute  of the NDRC. Topics we address include: The importance of long-term modeling, and its contribution compared to five-year plans or other policy planning How CETO's two main scenarios compare: both assume carbon neutrality by 2060 and similar GDP growth, but differ in terms of energy mix and technology progress The role of electrification and energy efficiency: starting with transport, but also in industry, which requires both a cleaner grid and lower direct combustion of fossil fuels, which wastes huge amounts of energy through waste heat The importance of structural economic transforma

According to a recent report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), by sustaining its current expansion rate of renewable energy, China could cut 30% of power sector emissions & increase non-fossil energy share to over 40%. This would require renewable capacity of 5,000 GW by 2035 (roughly 3x current renewable capacity, or 4x current wind and solar capacity) and halting approvals of all new unabated coal power plants. CREA's report argues these goals can only be achieved through robust national targets, such as through the forthcoming Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) targets.  In this podcast, we speak with CREA's Belinda Schäpe about the details of this analysis, which was reported on in detail in Reuters, Bloomberg, and AFP.  Belinda is a China Policy Analyst with the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) where she analysis China's decarbonisation journey and advises policymakers on their diplomatic engagement with China. Previously, Belinda worked on climate di

Dear listeners, we hope you missed us during the long summer break! Now, we're back, and hope you'll join us again for another in-depth episode dealing with a rapidly expanding element of China's energy transition: offshore wind. Today, we’re talking about China’s offshore wind sector and how it compares to the strategies pursued by Western countries, typified perhaps by the example of Norway. Our guest is longtime Beijing Energy Network member Erlend Ek, who was posted to Beijing and lived in China for over 15 years. He is now senior research strategy and energy lead with China Policy. Erlend has over this time headed a long list of commissioned research projects across a diverse range of topics, including China’s industrial development, trade policy, regional economic coordination, and the economic zones system. His master's thesis is entitled: "China and Norway: who leads in offshore wind energy and why? A study in motivation." Key points addressed in the podcast: How China's offshore wind industry st

In the latest episode of Environment China's podcast, we speak to Maggie Yao. Maggie is a Senior Consultant at CCaSS EY Netherlands, primarily focusing on EU environmental policy, ESG due diligence, ESG strategy, and CSRD implementation. Prior to EY, she worked as an Associate at RMI China, where she conducted research on coal transition, renewable energy integration and system impact, and power market analysis. She also worked as a Senior Analyst for Coho Climate Advisors, a DC-based energy consulting firm and an ERM Group company. There, she engaged with multiple corporate and industrial companies to help them procure large-scale renewable energy in the United States. Maggie obtained her Bachelor's degree in Political Economy from UC Berkeley, and her Master's degrees from Yale School of the Environment and Johns Hopkins University.   This episode is in Chinese and is produced by our Executive Producer 袁小丹 Yuan Xiaodan (Joyce)    

In the latest episode of Environment China's podcast series on Young Professionals in Sustainability, we speak to UB Qiu. UB is a sustainability professional with diverse, international, cross-sector experiences, including in ESG consulting, in-house corporate sustainability, partnership development at a plant-based protein startup, and multiple internships and projects at climate-tech startups/social enterprises in the U.S., China, Kenya, and India. Additionally, she was part of Antler's inaugural Entrepreneur in Residence cohort in Saudi Arabia in 2023. UB holds a Master's Degree in Environmental Management from Yale University and a B.S. in Psychology and Environmental Policy from the College of William and Mary. She was an honoree of GreenBiz 30 Under 30 in 2021.   This episode is in Chinese and is produced by our Executive Producer Xiaodan Yuan.   在环境中国最新一期的环境能源可持续圈打工人系列播客中，我们邀请到了邱洋圣菁 UB —— UB 在可持续发展领域拥有多年的国际化经验，特别是在 ESG 咨询和企业可持续发展管理领域。她也曾在一家植物蛋白初创企业负责企业的合作伙伴拓展。过去两年，她在肯尼亚、印度、及中美参与多个气候科技创业公司、社会企业和碳金融方面的实习

In the latest episode of Environment China's podcast, we speak to Ruixin Li as part of our Young Professionals in Sustainability series. Ruixin currently works as the lead climate specialist at ICF International Consulting (Beijing). He has eight years of experience working on climate change issues and more than four years of experience implementing international cooperation projects. His focuses include carbon market, green finance, and sustainable aviation. Previously, Ruixin worked for Greenovation Hub and China Youth Climate Action Network. He has also assisted several international NGOs in climate communication and local climate action. Since 2014, he has been tracking international climate negotiations under the UNFCCC and witnessed the reach of the Paris Agreement and the Paris Rulebook. His negotiation tracking articles can be found in several media, such as China Economic Herald, Caixin Globus News, and Ming Pao. This episode is in Chinese and is produced by our Executive Producer Xiaodan Yuan. Suppo

Today, we have a special cross-over episode with the podcast called Preparing for AI, which is hosted by Matt Cartwright and Jimmy Rhodes. The guest for this episode is Anders Hove, long-time host of the Environment China podcast, and Beijing-based Matt Cartwright interviews him about the impact of AI on the clean energy transition. Anders ‘references several points related to China, such as efforts to locate data centers in colder regions, and the results of experiments seeking to make data centers respond to the output of renewables. We hope you enjoy it! You can read a full transcript of the episode on the Preparing for AI website here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2320704/14945514

In the latest episode of Environment China's podcast, we speak to Zhinan Chen as part of our Young Professionals in Sustainability series. Zhinan is a senior associate with Rocky Mountain Institute's India Program, based in Oakland, California, United States. She collaborates with national and state-level partners in India to accelerate the country’s transition to zero-emission trucking. At RMI, she also helped shape the concrete and cement initiative as one of the founding members, where she designed net-zero strategies for the global concrete and cement industry through thought leadership and stakeholder engagement. Zhinan has worked in the non-profit sector for four years, mainly covering heavy industry, transportation decarbonization in Asia, and US-China climate cooperation. Zhinan holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management from Yale University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Arabic and Economics from Peking University. This episode is in Chinese and is produced by our Executive Producer Xiaodan Yua

Today's episode looks at the complex topic of corporate climate disclosures. Our guests today are Erica Downs, Ned Downie, and Lou Yushan. They are the authors of a recent report, published by the Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), entitled “China’s Climate Disclosure Regime: How Regulations, Politics, and Investors Shape Corporate Climate Reporting.” Erica Downs is senior research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University; Edmund Downie is PhD Candidate in Public Affairs at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs; and Yushan Lou is Research Associate at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. In the podcast we discuss: How disclosures on ESG and carbon emissions differ in Hong Kong versus the mainland, and for listed versus unlisted firms The differing incentives SOEs have for making public climate disclosures The value of such disclosures for policy, given that policy-makers have so many other command-and-control instruments

In the latest episode of Environment China's podcast, we speak to Wen Yi as part of our Young Professionals in Sustainability series. Wen Yi is a doctoral graduate in Transportation Engineering from the University of Tennessee in the United States and a master's degree in statistics. He previously received a master's degree in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Wen Yi has been deeply involved in the environmental field since his undergraduate degree. During his PhD, Wenyi’s main research area was micro-mobility, especially the study of the impact of bike-sharing on the transportation system, environmental ecology, and personal health.  Episode production: Joyce Yuan Support Environment China on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EnvironmentChina  

This is an emergency podcast about the Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis, which was released just a day ago. Top US and China climate negotiators Xie Zhenhua and John Kerry have held several days of talks at the Sunnylands estate near Palm Springs in California, and released this joint US-China statement in the lead-up to COP28 in Dubai. Just a few months ago, Kerry had visited BJ to negotiate similar topics, and President Xi had used the occasion to emphasize that China would set its own path on climate, and not give in to pressure. So this joint statement comes as a bit of a positive surprise. Topics we discuss: The top highlights of the announcement, especially economy-wide emissions cuts and addressing all GHGs. The meaning of "meaningful post-peak reductions in power sector emissions." The importance of the phrasing around tripling renewable capacity. What this means (or doesn't mean) for global stock taking. How the issue of trade policy will play a

In the latest episode of Environment China’s Young Professionals in Sustainability Series, we talk with Qiwen Cui, the China editor at China Dialogue, which in 2024 will launch its new flagship website called Dialogue Earth. Qiwen has worked in various media outlets covering climate action, technology, and entrepreneurship. Her focuses at Dialogue Earth are biodiversity, food systems, energy and climate change. Before moving to London, Qiwen worked at Shanghai-based sustainable social enterprise BottleDream and Curiosity Daily, among others. In the podcast, we will discuss Qiwen’s early academic and work background, career planning path, a day at Dialogue Earth’s London office, and sustainable societies and events in London. This episode is in Chinese and is produced by our Executive Producer Xiaodan Yuan Please consider supporting us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/EnvironmentChina  我们一生中有将近三分之一的时间都在工作中度过，所以我们要的不仅仅只是一份工作，而是一个与我们的目标、优势和价值观相一致的职业。2022年我们发起了“可持续宝藏青年都在做什么”圆桌并邀请了来自环境、能源和可持续发展领域的小伙伴们分享他们的工作机构和

Coal in China is seeing a multi-year resurgence after years in which the government seemed ready to dial back and ultimately halt coal power construction. Indeed, just months after the 2020 announcement by Xi Jinping on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, in early 2021 a Central Environmental Inspection Team report criticized the National Energy Administration for approving too much coal and ignoring environmental policy goals (albeit on air quality, not carbon). The report stated that NEA had ‘built what shouldn’t be built (coal, coal power lines), and not built what should be built.’ China also committed internationally to ‘strictly control’ new coal capacity through 2025, after which coal power should decline. Ironically, that CEIT report was just months before a major new coal boom in China began, which kicked off even before power shortages in late 2021 that were caused by high coal prices and then further power cuts in 2022 caused by hydro shortfalls in some regions.  Our guest for this episode is S

The Belt-and-Road Initiative (BRI) has reached the ripe old age of 10 this month. Those 10 years have seen a lot of change, including on topics like the relative focus on clean energy versus fossil fuels and the interest in and incentives for applying ESG criteria to BRI investments. Today we are joined by frequent guest and longtime friend of the pod, Professor Christoph Nedopil-Wang. This year he became the Director Griffith Asia Institute and is also Professor at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. Previously, he was Associate Professor and Director of the Green Finance & Development Center, Fudan University. He previous worked in Beijing at the International Institute of Green Finance (IIGF), as well as at GIZ. Cheat sheet: Q: Was the 1H 2023 really the greenest ever, as Reuters summarized? (A: Reuters focused on energy sector, where change most evident, though oil & gas investments are big and lumpy, so can't just look at 1H. "Small and beautiful" green investments becoming more commo

In this episode of our Women in Sustainability series, we are speaking again with Dr Liu Xiao about marine waste and the broader topic of waste and recycling in general. We talk with Dr Liu about a typical day at work on her projects at GIZ. Dr Liu is Project Manager at GIZ of the Rethinking Plastic-Circular Economy Solutions to Marine Litter (China), Integrated Waste Management NAMA (Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions) Project, and Textile Compass Project. She is also a member of Recycling and Waste Minimisation Committee of the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA). She has more than 15 years’ experience on municipal solid waste (MSW) management and sustainable development especially on policy research and technology consulting. Her research is mainly about integrated waste management and low carbon transition, plastic waste management and pollution control, with a special focus on sustainable business model establishment in the waste sector. 我们一生中有将近三分之一的时间都在工作中度过，所以我们要的不仅仅只是一份工作，而是一个与我们的目标、