An overview of China-Europe climate cooperation
A state thinktank report from Beijing ahead of Xi Jinping's trip to Europe
Shortly before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ongoing visit to Europe, four Chinese thinktanks released “China-EU Cooperation on Environment and Climate: Progress and Prospects”. The effort by the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization（under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment), the National Energy Conservation Center, the Xinhua Institute, and the Institutes of Science and Development under the Chinese Academy of Sciences is apparently trying to highlight collaboration on environment and climate as a new “pillar” and “engine” between China and Europe.
The report took a decisively optimistic approach to the issue by highlighting that “the two sides have similar views and broad consensus on promoting green and low-carbon development, which serves as a solid foundation for cooperation. They are also highly complementary in the field of environment and climate.” That comes as little surprise, as the authors try to cultivate a positive narrative ahead of the current visit.
As such, the report pays only lip service to potential challenges
…challenges such as geopolitical issues and the sluggish global economy have introduced many uncertainties to China-EU cooperation. First, there are strategic divergences at the policy level. The EU is changing its strategic stance toward China, viewing China as a cooperation partner, an economic competitor, and a systemic rival. It emphasizes the need to manage risks and reduce dependency and has launched a series of regulations and policies to promote the localization of European industries. China believes that there are no geopolitical conflicts or fundamental conflicts of interest between the two sides. China sees the EU as a partner, not a competitor, even less a rival, especially in a systemic sense. Secondly, the EU prioritizes the independence of its industrial and supply chains, establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism, initiating anti-subsidy investigations against Chinese electric vehicles using foreign subsidies regulation, and reviewing European investments in China. These actions may cast shadows on China-EU relations and affect China-EU cooperation on environment and climate.
Except that the bloc’s trichotomy - “partner, competitor, and rival” - that Beijing never accepted was adopted in Brussels in March 2019 - five years ago. Therefore, the EU is hardly changing its strategic stance toward China now. Certainly, China-Europe relations have significantly deteriorated over the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Still, the report offers a useful overview of the joint efforts in environmental and climate cooperation
At the first stage (before 2012), the China-EU cooperation mechanisms were gradually established. The China-EU environmental cooperation started early, virtually coinciding with the founding of the EU, and it was one of the first areas of cooperation between the governments of the two sides. In 1995, the EU published “A Long Term Policy for China-Europe Relations,” identifying environmental protection as a priority area of assistance to China. In addition to cooperation at the EU level, China and EU member states started to cooperate long ago. For example, before 1990, Denmark provided DKK30.2 million in grants for a sewage treatment project in Handan City, Hebei Province.1 China signed a bilateral environmental agreement with Germany in 1994 and a memorandum of understanding on environmental cooperation with Finland in 1995, respectively. Encouraged by Chinese and EU leaders, the EU-China Ministerial Environmental Policy Dialogue and a ministerial-level dialogue mechanism on climate change were officially established in 2003 and 2010, respectively.
At the second stage (from 2013 to 2020), the China-EU cooperative relationship underwent a transformation. In 2013, the EU terminated its official development assistance (ODA) to China, putting an end to their donor-recipient relationship. Nonetheless, green growth remained a key area of strategic and practical cooperation between China and the EU, which had since advanced as a mutually beneficial partnership on environmental and climate cooperation. In 2015, the two sides published the EU-China Joint Statement on Climate Change, further highlighting the importance of climate change cooperation to China-EU relations. The two sides agreed to launch a low-carbon cities partnership, among other initiatives. In 2018, the EU-China Leaders’ Statement on Climate Change and Clean Energy was issued to deepen practical cooperation in climate change, clean energy, and other areas.
During the third stage (from 2020 onwards), the EU-China green partnership has been forged. In 2020, the Leaders’ Meeting via Video Conference decided to establish the EU-China High-Level Environment and Climate Dialogue (HECD) and elevate their relationship to a green partnership. As of the end of 2023, four sessions of the EU-China HECD had been held between the EU Executive Vice President and China’s Vice Premier. China-EU cooperation on environment and climate has been further institutionalized and carried out at a higher level and on a wider scale, becoming a key topic at China-EU leaders’ meetings. Since 2020, Chinese and EU leaders have stressed many times the need to work together to tackle global challenges such as climate change and advance the EU-China green partnership.
(Milestones of China-EU cooperation on environment and climate)
Multilevel and multilateral partnerships
A comprehensive cooperation model has initially taken shape. Led by climate diplomacy between the heads of state and government and guided by intergovernmental cooperation mechanisms, China and the EU have established multilevel, multi-platform, and multilateral communication channels, supported by practical cooperation at regional and local levels and cooperation between think tanks, businesses, and other organizations.
– At the government level. China and the EU have established multilevel bilateral climate cooperation mechanisms at the vice premier, ministerial, and departmental levels, and launched the Low Carbon Cities Partnership. The China-France Carbon Neutrality Center (CNC) was officially inaugurated in November 2023, the first CNC between China and the EU. In addition to cooperation at the EU level, China has conducted practical cooperation with Germany, France, Italy, and other EU member states. For example, China and Germany set up a joint environment and climate change working group, implemented the International Climate Initiative (IKI), and carried out dozens of projects in such fields as climate partnership, NDCs, carbon market, low-carbon transport, and climatesmart development. For another example, China and France launched a joint working group on green and low-carbon economy. Additionally, China and Italy have cooperated on several projects in the fields of climate change adaptation, provincial-level response to climate change, and carbon capture and storage. Between 2012 and 2019, Italy has supported China in organizing annual training courses on climate change and sustainable development.
– At the think tank level. The EU has been involved in the work of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) since its second phase in 1997, and sent high level representatives to serve as members of the CCICED. Continued efforts were made to facilitate the Sino-German Track II Dialogue (T2D) on Climate Change and Sustainable Development and promote academic exchanges between Chinese and German climate experts. The China-EU Environmental Policy Research Center was established in 2021 as a broader platform for communication and cooperation among think tanks.
– At the industry level. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU were established in 2000 and 2019, respectively, and eight China-EU ecological parks have been built in China. The China-EU Green Economic Cooperation and Development Summit was held in 2021, and Chinese and EU enterprises launched the Green Action Initiative, strengthening their climate exchanges and cooperation. Since 2016, China and Germany have collaborated on the demonstration project “Energy Saving in the EnergyIntensive Industry through Energy Diagnosis.” The project has put forward 97 energy efficiency improvement measures for enterprises in cement, ceramics, paper-making, and other industries, which can save energy equaling 169,300 tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 440,200 tons a year
So what’s the Chinese state think tanks’ recommendations?
ii. Actions and prospects
Facing new situations and challenges, China and the EU should strengthen their green partnership, effectively leverage the important role of China-EU cooperation on environment and climate, making it a new engine for China-EU strategic cooperation, a new highlight of China-EU economic and trade cooperation, a new bond for China-EU cultural cooperation, and a new model for global environmental and climate cooperation.
Adhere to a mechanism-led approach. The China-EU High-Level Environment and Climate Dialogue should become the leading mechanism to further cooperation mechanisms involving multiple entities, levels, and areas.
First, efforts should be made to deepen and consolidate the China-EU High-Level Environment and Climate Dialogue and make full use of this platform to steer other existing cooperation mechanisms such as the China-EU Ministerial-Level Environmental Policy Dialogue and the China-EU Ministerial-Level Climate Change Dialogue, so as to strengthen communication and coordination, enhance mutual understanding and trust, consolidate consensus, explore cooperation potential, clarify the direction of China-EU green cooperation, build influence, and accumulate positive outcomes for the healthy development of China-EU relations and major international agendas.
Second, environment and climate topics may be covered in other high-level mechanisms. For example, there may be dialogues and exchanges related to environmental products and services and green trade at the China-EU High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue (HED).
Third, relevant parties should be encouraged to establish China-EU exchange platforms for different entities, including local governments, think tanks, experts, and enterprises. Local governments of China and the EU member states should be encouraged to carry out environmental and climate cooperation, establishing more sister provinces and sister cities. Climate partnerships could be established and Track II dialogues carried out between cities with similar industrial structures. Universities of the two sides may explore ways to establish China-EU environment and climate institutes, while the China-EU Environmental Policy Research Center may play its role fully and build platforms for dialogue and cooperation between Chinese and European environment think tanks.
Continue to pursue innovations in form. To deepen and expand China-EU cooperation on environment and climate, there should be more forms of cooperation.
First, while consolidating existing cooperation, efforts should be made to reach out to other fields, such as clean energy, advanced energy-saving and carbon-reducing technology, green transportation, green buildings, methane, marine litter, key areas of pollution reduction and carbon reduction, circular economy, environmental technology, and environmental trade, strengthening dialogue and exchanges.
Second, the China-EU Green Action should be launched to strengthen coordination and connection in fields such as the digital economy and artificial intelligence, stimulating new momentum for China EU green cooperation.
Third, in conjunction with the implementation of China-EU cooperation projects, more activities may be organized, including policy dialogues, seminars, training sessions, visits and exchanges, and more, to deliver more practical outcomes in China-EU environment and climate cooperation.
Further expand the coverage of the cooperation. Work needs to be done to promote the “EU-China +” cooperation model to expand the scope of the cooperation. Triangular cooperation should be encouraged such as “EU-China + Southeast Asia” or “EU-China + Africa” cooperation, organizing training seminars, pilot and demonstration projects, and other activities to accumulate experience and promote the cooperation models, broadening “EU-China +” cooperation. In conjunction with South-South cooperation on climate change, the green Belt and Road Initiative and other programs, new forms of China-EU cooperation may be explored, bringing in other parties from within the framework of South-South cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative. Considering that developing countries face the dual tasks of pollution control and carbon reduction, cooperation projects may be designed to address both environmental and climate issues, achieving greater effectiveness and efficiency and making the triangular cooperation more fruitful.