Greenovation Hub, Climate Transparency, the Institute of Finance and Sustainability, GIZ and the German Embassy in Beijing hold the online event:
A just transition towards carbon neutrality:
China and Germany share experiences
25 March 2021, 4-6 pm GMT+8
President Xi Jinping announced at the UN General Assembly in September 2020 that China aims to peak CO2 emissions before 2030, and to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. This historic announcement sends a clear political signal for an economy-wide transition. Germany pledged to achieve net-zero by 2050.
China’s 14th Five-Year Plan announced in early March 2021 lays out a framework on the synergies between quality growth and ecological protection. The next five years will be critical to accelerate the implementation of a green, climate-resilient and inclusive transition towards carbon neutrality and will require China’s national and local governments to now adopt ambitious and innovative policies to ensure an early CO2 peak. However, challenges remain as economic development in many provinces relies on energy-intensive industries and carbon-intensive energy supply. Germany has already made experiences in structural reform processes in its coal regions including measures for economic reorientation and easing the transition’s social impacts. In its current efforts to phase-out coal and achieve its net-zero target, Germany is implementing new regional approaches in terms of financing, promotion of innovation and stakeholder participation.
This invitation-only event brought together high-level government representatives, financial regulators, think tanks, NGOs at national and local level from China and Germany, for a policy dialogue on the following issues:
-How do China and Germany envision to become carbon-neutral?
-What role could local governments play in the just transition to a low-carbon, climate resilient economy and what are areas for regional cooperation between China and Germany?
-What innovative policy instruments and financing mechanism could help accelerate the energy transition?
