China and Climate Change: Responding to a Global Challenge

Climate change is an unprecedented challenge for the global community. China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases with over a quarter of all global emissions coming from that country alone. Progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in China is therefore crucial for any meaningful global response to climate change. Following decades of rapid economic growth and industrialisation China faces a major environmental catastrophe making arresting China’s growing emissions an enormous task.

• What is China’s climate change policy and approach?

• What is China doing to promote renewable energy, a low carbon economy, green finance and sustainable agriculture and industry?

• What is the balance of mitigation and adaptation in China’s climate change policy?
• What opportunities do developing nations have for pursuing green growth strategies?

This conference will assess China’s domestic and international approach to climate change and ask what this means for New Zealand, the region and for global efforts at climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Speakers include:

• PAN Jiahua, Director General, Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS)

• John Mathews , Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Business and Economics, Macquarie University

• David Frame, Professor of Climate Change, School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington

• YU Xiang, Research Fellow, Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS)

• Alex Lo, Senior Lecturer in Climate Change, School of Geography Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington

• ZHENG Yan, Research Fellow, Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS)

For more information on speakers check here