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The event, “Greening China’s Financial System”, was co-organised by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the UNEP-Inquiry, and China Carbon Forum (CCF). The panel discussion involved a range of eminent speakers who provided comprehensive and in-depth discussion of green finance in China, as well as internationally. The panel in particular discussed the outcomes of two streams of work on green finance. The first, with a new report titled Greening China’s Financial System, is a joint project between the Development Research Centre of China’s State Council (DRC) and IISD. The second is from a joint Green Finance Task Force co-convened by the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and UNEP-Inquiry.

The speakers on the panel discussions presented a good balance of perspectives, approaching the topic from governmental, academic and think-tank viewpoints. This range of views made for a stimulating Q&A session with the audience. For full Executive Summary and Record of Discussion, download PDF: Greening China’s Financial System

“Financing the green transition in China: opportunities for local government access to climate finance”, is part of the China Low Carbon Leadership Network 2012-2014 event series jointly organized by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and China Carbon Forum.

It saw the launch of an important new report on opportunities for accessing climate finance by Chinese provincial governments, with a focus on Guangdong. The report, a collaborative project between GIZ and The Climate Group, can be downloaded here: Analysis of Climate Finance Policies and Innovative Finance Mechanisms in Guangdong Policy Mapping and Case Studies

This event was part of the series held by the Low Carbon Leadership Network, jointly organized by China Carbon Forum and GIZ. The event discussed a wide range of important issues currently facing China in managing climate change. It focused on the role of local governments and identified some key areas where the panelists thought that improvements could be made. Importantly the panel identified further bilateral collaboration as crucial to helping China meet these challenges successfully.

The event builds on a dialogue which was started in December 2013 when a high level delegation of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), led by Deputy Director General Sun Zhen, traveled to North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) for a series of meetings on the topic of Climate Governance and attended the NRW climate congress in Wuppertal. Since then the dialogue on the topic has continued with various stakeholders, including China’s National Center for Climate Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC) and the Wuppertal Institute. For Record of Discussion and Executive Summary, download PDF: Local Climate Governance

On 20th May 2014, China Carbon Forum together with EuropeAid’s project team for the “Design and Implementation of Emissions Trading Systems in China” (the EU – China ETS Project) held an event to launch the implementation of the project. The event involved a discussion on “China’s National ETS: The Way Forward”, which took a forward look at the development of a national emissions trading scheme in China.

The national ETS could become a key component of China’s bold ambitions to control its growing carbon emissions and is being watched closely by many other countries and regions that are developing and implementing their own emissions trading systems and carbon market mechanisms. For Executive Summary of this event, download PDF: China’s National ETS- The Way Forward

On 24th April 2014, China Carbon Forum and the Beijing climate community welcomed the EU Climate Commissioner, Ms. Connie Hedegaard, to participate in a discussion on ‘How can China get the most out of Paris 2015?’ along with other distinguished panelists.

The panel discussed the importance of international cooperation leading up to the Paris COP21 in 2015, and emphasized the existing partnership between the EU and China in the areas of energy, urbanization and emissions trading. The panel suggested that this must be allowed to help progress discussions in the UNFCCC. While differentiation of responsibility should be considered a core principle of any deal in Paris, it must nevertheless be equally binding to all parties. The current slow progress, including climate finance assistance from developed countries, must be overcome in order to build confidence amongst parties and lift ambition. It is also important that public support contribute momentum in the lead up to COP21, as it did prior to the Copenhagen conference in 2009. The panel agreed that much has changed since Copenhagen, including increasing evidence of the seriousness of the challenge, awareness amongst leaders in both politics and industry, as well as significant domestic action worldwide. With strong cooperation between now and COP21 between the EU and China, and working to achieve agreements on key issues prior to the meeting, the chances of a successful outcome will be greatly increased.

For the full Executive Summary, please download PDF: How can China and the EU get the most out of Paris 2015

China’s carbon market is developing quickly, and China is on its way to establishing the world’s largest carbon market. For China’s carbon market to be effective, stable carbon prices with a rising forward curve are necessary. An international reserve, which supports a strong and rising carbon price, could be of significant benefit to China, both as a demander of credits in the future, and also as a supplier given the stranded assets currently under the CDM. On March 5th 2014, China Carbon Forum, in cooperation with the Climate Markets & Investment Association, and Association for Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia launched the Brookings Institution and Climate Advisers’ innovative Carbon Market Reserves Report in Beijing. The event successfully shared the report’s main messages, lessons learned and heard feedback from China’s climate stakeholders on the future development of domestic and global carbon markets.

For full Executive Summary, please download PDF: Stabilizing Carbon Markets 

Brookings Report: http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2013/12/international-carbon-market-volatility-purvis

Carsharing aims to complement the existing public transport system by providing on demand and short-term access to public automobiles. Carsharing separates car use from vehicle ownership. It intends to reduce the car population in a city to prevent traffic congestion and reduce pollution. Carsharing solutions have spread in western countries where local governments see them as convenient ways to reduce parking needs in the city centers and improve overall transportation efficiency. However, the concept is still very new in China.

In 2009, China became the world’s biggest auto market. By 2012, 14.7 million new cars were hitting China’s roads. This has led to a dramatic increase in the congestion and pollution problems in major cities. Municipalities, including Beijing, have adopted specific policies that limit the annual growth of private vehicle ownership and control when they can be used. There is therefore an opportunity for Chinese policy makers and researchers to further explore the potential of carsharing systems as part of the traffic congestion and pollution solution in each of China’s cities. For full Executive Summary, download PDF: Car sharing – A Solution to Traffic Bottlenecks in China