2021 witnessed significant growth in electric vehicle (EV) sales in China. The share of new energy vehicles in new passenger vehicle sales more than doubled from 8.4% at the beginning of the year to 20.6% by year’s end. This EV sales surge was driven by both policy incentives and growing consumer demand.
Insights from States’ Leadership in Climate Action
In 2017, in the wake of former President Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, states, cities, businesses, and other non-state leaders – often referred to as “subnationals” – stepped in to fill the void. Now with the U.S. federal government re-engaged with the world on climate, new research from the California-China Climate Institute examines how U.S. subnationals are continuing to advance climate leadership and action at the state level.
The Diplomat: China-US Subnational Exchanges Under the Biden Administration
Under Biden, Beijing appears to have kept its focus on maintaining and further developing subnational relationships.
More than Numbers: China’s New Climate Plans
At the recently-convened COP26 climate talks, China's Special Envoy for Climate, Xie Zhenhua, highlighted the country’s recent progress in working towards its climate goals with not just rhetoric but action.
NYT: Are Global Warming Summits Still Cool?
Few states support climate action as enthusiastically as California. But the Golden State isn’t sending a governor to the United Nations climate change summit this year. Gov. Gavin Newsom is not going, and neither are his predecessors in the office. That’s both unusual and a little telling
China’s power crunch is another reminder to move away from its carbon-intensive growth path
Since August, more than 20 Chinese provinces experienced industrial or residential power crunches, including China’s major manufacturing hubs: Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu. Traffic lights went dark, air conditioners stopped, and assembly lines paused.
The Devil's in the Details: Assessing China's Pledge to End Overseas Coal Construction
Last month, President Xi Jinping addressed the United Nations General Assembly via video message and sent shockwaves around the world, announcing that his country will stop building coal-fired power plants overseas
California-China Climate Institute Celebrates 2 Years of Research, Training and Dialogue
BERKELEY – Two years after its launch, the California-China Climate Institute celebrated its anniversary last week by convening two virtual Climate Week NYC events focused U.S. and Chinese subnational climate action and applauding new legislation – AB 39 by Assemblymember Ed Chau – signed by California Governor Gavin Newson, which recognizes, and codifies, the ongoing work of the Institute.
CA.Gov: Governor Newsom Signs Historic Climate Action Bills
The largest climate package in state history, Governor Newsom highlights over $15 billion in funding to tackle wildfire and drought challenges, build climate resilience in communities, promote sustainable agriculture and advance nation-leading climate agenda.
Yahoo! News: China says it will stop building coal plants abroad, but big questions remain on its commitment to fighting climate change
Following Chinese President Xi Jinping's announcement at the UN General Assembly that his country will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad, climate activists say China must do more to reduce its own domestic coal emissions.
California-China Collaborative Action: A Key Pathway to Accelerate Nature-based Climate Solutions
How can forests, wetlands, and farms provide solutions to meet our climate goals? How do we create and implement policies to support the ecosystems that we depend on to sequester carbon, protect coastal cities from floods and heat waves, and provide us with clean air and water? Answering these questions is at the center of the Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the California-China Climate Institute’s (CCCI) ongoing work to advance nature-based climate solutions (NbS) in California and China.
CNN: 'More fires. More floods. More disasters': Fmr. California Governor on our climate future
Former California Governor Jerry Brown discusses what it will take for countries, including the U.S. and China to act -- and collaborate -- on climate.
CNN: John Kerry is pushing China to do more on climate. Beijing is pushing back
One question looms above all others in United States climate envoy John Kerry's climate diplomacy agenda: What can the US do about China?
Priorities for U.S.-China Subnational Partnerships on Carbon Neutrality
Recent carbon and climate neutrality commitments from a growing number of countries and regions —China, the EU, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, the UK, and the U.S. — represent a sea change in global momentum for tackling climate change.
Emerging best-practices for reducing short-lived climate pollutants
The California-China Climate Institute has released a new report outlining avenues for gaining traction and international collaboration on short-lived climate pollutants. The report offers opportunities for reducing short-lived climate pollutants for China and highlight the importance of multi-policy and multi-gas strategies by drawing out examples of these approaches from California, Canada, and the European Union.
CarbonBrief: China’s 2060 ‘carbon neutrality’ goal covers ‘all greenhouse gases’
Xie Zhenhua, China’s special envoy for climate change, has said that the country aims to neutralise “all GHGs” before 2060. He noted that China intends to achieve the neutrality of “the emissions of greenhouse gases in all economic sectors, not just CO2”.
“Climate Dialogues with Jerry Brown” New Episodes Available
BERKELEY – The California-China Climate Institute today released the latest episodes of its audio and video podcast, “Climate Dialogues with Jerry Brown,” featuring conversations with former United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary and Global Optimism Founding Partner Christiana Figueres; former President of Ireland and The Elders Chair Mary Robinson; and Astronomer Royal and Cambridge University’s Center for the Study of Existential Risk co-founder Dr. Martin Rees.
China Daily: Cooperation essential for climate battle
China and the United States would benefit from cooperation in tackling climate change, a forum has heard as reports aired at the gathering reinforced the need for the two biggest economies to coordinate their efforts.
China Launches World’s Largest Carbon Market
China’s long-awaited national emissions trading system (ETS) launched last week, following prolonged anticipation. The effort was first announced in 2011, during the 12th Five-Year Planning process, as part of a broader strategy for enhancing green development.
California-China Climate Institute Reviews Deep Decarbonization Pathways in the U.S. and China
BERKELEY – As the U.S. and China chart a path to achieve their ambitious mid-century carbon neutrality targets, the California-China Climate Institute today released two new reports – one focused on the U.S. and the other on China – identifying institutional, policy and technology gaps and opportunities based on a comprehensive review and analysis of recent deep decarbonization studies in both countries.