Building on The U.S.-China High-Level Event on Subnational Climate Action held in Berkeley in May, and the U.S.-China Subnational Climate Action Roundtable held in Beijing during Senior Advisor to President Biden for International Climate Policy John Podesta’s trip to China in September, this dialogue, held on the margins of COP29 in Baku, featured top subnational climate leaders from the U.S. and China, sharing the latest action, progress and challenges at the state and city level. Its aim was to draw out the key ways that subnationals are helping to implement the Sunnylands Statement, and driving ambitious climate action.
Past Events
For a schedule of all our events, seminars, and lectures visit our calendar.
[In-person Event] Young Scholar Seminar
The California-China Climate Institute (CCCI) held a series of talks by CCCI’s Student Travel and Independent Fieldwork Grant Program recipients. Berkeley Ph.D. and Master's candidates from various disciplines presented their research on global efforts to advance decarbonization and resilience, with insights from China, the U.S., and beyond.
[In-Person Event] U.S. - China Subnational Climate Leadership Amid Changing Dynamics
The Five-Year Anniversary of The California-China Climate Institute, "The U.S.-China Subnational Climate Leadership in the Context of Changing Dynamics" event was held during ClimateWeek 2024, on September 25 from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time in mid-town Manhattan, New York City.
[Webinar] Reducing Agricultural Methane Emissions from Rice and Manure
The California-China Climate Institute learned about a new report launch focused on China’s strategies to reduce methane from rice and manure, and heard from issue experts’ insights on these topics.
[In-person Event] U.S. - China High-Level Event on Subnational Climate Action - Action and Progress under the Sunnylands Statement
The world’s two largest emitters - the United States and China - through the Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis have committed to working together to achieve international climate goals.
[In-person Event] CCCI and Joanna Lewis present: Cooperating for the Climate Learning from International Partnerships in China's Clean Energy Sector
Join CCCI for an insightful talk with author Joanna Lewis on her book, "Cooperating for the Climate: Learning from International Partnerships in China's Clean Energy Sector," an examination of international efforts to combat climate change through collaboration, with a particular focus on China's pivotal role.
[Webinar] The Public Health Dimensions of Air Quality and Climate Change: Highlights of Policy and Technological Options from California and China
The challenges of air pollution and climate change are closely linked, with overlapping solutions, and significant public health co-benefits in addressing them. This necessitates a cohesive policy approach toward maximizing co-benefits, and avoiding unintended trade-offs. In this workshop, the California-China Climate Institute shared lessons-learned from its study on the policy and technological options available to maximize public health co-benefits, sharing insights from urban cases of Los Angeles, Beijing and Shenzhen. California has integrated public health into its air and climate policies, primarily by incorporating public health indicators in policies, establishing public health monitoring networks, and measuring implementation action. China, meanwhile, has excelled at developing highly sophisticated air quality monitoring tools and a comprehensive climate policy framework. This culminating event presented project findings, heard issue-expert commentary, and shared local experiences from urban cities in both jurisdictions.
[In-person Event] U.S.-China Climate Forum
This event, hosted by the California-China Climate Institute – a University of California-wide initiative jointly housed at UC Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment, and Rausser College of Natural Resources – featured an array of experts’ work, identified and explored policy gaps, and detailed opportunities to work together on matters relating to climate policy in the U.S. and China.
[Webinar] Methane Series: Reducing Methane Emissions from Abandoned Coal Mines
As both the United States (U.S.) and China are transitioning from coal, a large number of coal mines are being left abandoned. These abandoned mines are a significant source of methane - a potent greenhouse gas. Although reducing methane emissions from abandoned coal mines presents difficulties, the benefits of addressing this issue are significant: slowing near-term climate change, diversifying energy sources, revitalizing the local economy, as well as alleviating health and environmental hazards. Join us to hear from issue experts on these topics, including on a new California-China Climate Institute report focusing on lessons learned from the U.S.
[Webinar] Opportunities for Enhanced Near-term U.S.-China Climate Action: Subnational Climate Leadership
Subnational collaboration offers unique opportunities for cooperation between China and the U.S., particularly in areas where local governments can have a greater impact and federal authority is limited. Both nations have influential states that inform their national policy decisions. Several key sectors offer opportunities for subnational climate action, including: transitioning from fossil fuels and coal, decarbonizing energy, enhancing climate resilience and adaptation, designing carbon markets, and reducing methane emissions. Join us to hear from issue-experts, including on a recent paper, Subnational Climate Action in the U.S and China: Where We Are and Opportunities for Cooperation.