Soon after the conclusion of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in December 2023, Yale Center Beijing hosted an event on “Responding to Climate Change: Theory and Practice” on December 14, 2023.
“Let's not make it an academic exercise, but let's make it a practical exercise,” said Jürg Burri, the Ambassador of Switzerland to China, during a recent event at Yale Center Beijing.
Over 70 participants gathered in person and 65 others joined online over the afternoon and evening to hear from the Swiss Ambassador to China Jürg Burri and the German Ambassador to China Dr. Patricia Flor, as well as Dr. Stephan Rothlin, Director of Macau Ricci Institute of the University of Saint Joseph Macau, Dr. Sebastian Eckardt, Practice Manager of Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment in the East Asia and Pacific Region at World Bank, Lars Eckerlein, General Manager of ABB China, Jung-Sik Kim, Professor of School of General Engineering at Beihang University, Shiqiu Zhang, Professor of Environmental Economics at Peking University, and Jörg Wuttke, Vice President & Chief Representative of China at BASF (China) Company. Kelsey Chang, Company News Chief of Caixin Global moderated the wide-ranging discussion involving academia and the private and public sectors. The event was a collaboration among the Hanns Seidel Foundation, Korea Innovation Center China, Macau Ricci Institute, Rothlin International Consulting Ltd., Swiss Chamber of Commerce, the University of Saint Joseph of Macau, and Yale Center Beijing.
Dr. Sebastian Eckardt from the World Bank shared hope that China's ambitious climate goals are achievable with the right policies, but will require a rapid transition away from coal and other fossil fuels. He emphasized the need for careful management of the transition, which poses both challenges and opportunities for coal-dependent regions and workers.
Professor Jung-Sik Kim discussed the promising aspects of hydrogen technologies, as well as current market and infrastructure challenges for widespread adoption. Professor Shiqiu Zhang highlighted China’s remarkable progress in improving air quality over the last decade with a national 57% reduction in PM2.5, a component of smog. Both professors attributed achieving environmental goals in China to scientific evidence, government policies, and public participation.
Lars Eckerlein showcased the significant strides ABB has made towards its sustainability targets with initiatives like zero-waste factories, green product certifications, and partnerships for R&D and community building. Meanwhile, Jörg Wuttke detailed BASF’s $10 billion investment in China's largest integrated chemical site, including efforts to make the project carbon-neutral and navigate complex government relations.
“There is no time to lose,” said Dr. Patricia Flor, the Ambassador of Germany to China. She concluded the evening’s discussion with an emphasis on action: “It starts at the personal level,” she said, “but then it goes beyond: all of the corporate actors up to the government responsibility.”
Climate change has long been a focus of Yale Center Beijing programming. During fall 2023, The Center co-hosted the third SMART Talks on Climate Change program with Caixin Global, which aims to endow leaders of the next generation with useful insights to tackle critical issues facing our planet. The 2023 program was modeled after the 2021 and 2022 programs and featured Douglas Kysar, Joseph M. Field ’55 Professor of Law at Yale Law School, Anthony Leiserowitz, Founder and Director of Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and Senior Research Scientist at Yale School of the Environment, Daniel Prober, Professor of Applied Physics and of Electrical Engineering and of Physics at Yale University, Fred Strebeigh, ’74, Senior Lecturer Emeritus in English and in Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University, as well as Alice Waters, recipient of the Doctor of Humane Letters from Yale University (L.H.D.) 2016, food activist, restaurateur, and co-founder of the Yale Sustainable Food Program, as speakers.
Yale Center Beijing, Yale’s first university-wide center outside of the United States, is a convening space and an intellectual hub that advances Yale’s mission to improve our world and develop leaders worldwide who serve all sectors of society. Founded in 2014, the Center acts as an activity space for Yale’s collaborations in China, enables the university to expand existing activities and form new partnerships, supports research and study from each of the university’s schools and divisions, and serves as a gathering place for alumni from throughout Asia.