EU-China Think Tank Dialogue: Reducing Climate Pollutants & Enhancing Urban Resilience

Meeting with Green Transition

Focusing on the theme of “Reducing Climate Pollutants and Enhancing Urban Resilience”, the delegation brought together European and Chinese think tank experts, researchers, and practitioners to discuss policy approaches to methane mitigation, short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), resilient urban planning, and decarbonizing the building sector.

Highlights from Beijing

From April 8 to April 10, the delegation met with key stakeholders and had in-depth exchange on green governance topics, such as climate pollutants and building sector decarbonization.

Key events included:

Meeting at iGDP

• An introductory meeting with the Green Transition section of the EU delegation on EU-China collaboration in the field of climate and environment.
   
• An in-depth exchange with the official partners of the project: Consulting and Research Center, Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Center, and Research Center on Territorial Spatial Planning of the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources on topics such as tackling coal mine methane emissions, green mining, resilience of urban land space in ecological restoration planning and decarbonizing the building sector.
   
• A policy dialogue with the Institute for Global Decarbonization Progress (iGDP) on methane and SLCPs, as well as decarbonization pathways in the energy and building sectors in China and Europe. It was noted during the discussion that China has already proposed a heat pump development strategy, while the EU has not yet introduced a similar policy. 

Meeting at Peking University

• A closed-door conference on reducing methane and other climate pollutants, featuring speakers from Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC) of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), and Peking University.
   
• An academic exchange with Prof. Zhang Shiqiu’s team at Peking University College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering. The discussion centered around researches actively carried by researchers from both side, such as NDC modelling, nexus of air-pollution and public health, state of the art methane emission monitoring technologies etc. 

Discussions at the Energy Research Institute

• A meeting with the Energy Research Institute (ERI) of National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), focused on energy efficiency in buildings. After comparing current guidelines in China and the EU, participants engaged in lively discussions about energy intensity targets in EU and China, pathways of reducing emissions in the power sector, etc.
   
• Participation in a multilateral “Climate Talks” co-hosted by Agora Energiewende and the German Embassy.

Field Visit to Shandong

From April 10 to 11, the delegation traveled to Jinan, Shandong Province for a field visit. They visited the “Streets in the cloud” rural revitalization demonstration area in Wanglao Village, Laiwu District, to explore local practices in ecological restoration, green agriculture, and rural transformation. Through exchanges with local administrators, the delegation gained deeper insights into the integration of ecological governance and rural development. Afterwards, they visited the Jinan Urban Planning Exhibition Hall to learn about the city's spatial planning history and its ongoing transition toward green development.

Learn about energy-efficient buildings in Shandong

Participating Institutions

The European delegation included representatives from:

• Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA)
• European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
• University of Eastern Finland
• University of Agriculture in Krakow (Poland)
• ECCO (Italy)
• IE University (Spain)

On the Chinese side, experts from the Ministry of Natural Resources-affiliated think tanks participated, including Consulting and Research Center, Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Center, and Research Center on Territorial Spatial Planning, with additional contributions from NCSC of the Ministry of Ecology  and Environment (MEE), iGDP, Energy Research Institute (ERI) of NDRC and Peking University.

Zero Waste tour at the Forbidden City with Vanke Foundation

About the Project

The EU-China Think Tank Engagement on Green Governance Project seeks to institutionalize regular track 1.5 and track 2 dialogues between think tanks and academics in China and the EU, enhancing mutual understanding, informing policy processes, and supporting bilateral cooperation in global green governance.

With further delegations and joint research activities ahead, this visit marks another step in strengthening EU-China climate collaboration from the bottom up.

Stay tuned for more updates and joint policy work to come!