BERKELEY – As the global impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic come into focus, the California-China Climate Institute last week convened a remote dialogue with top American and Chinese officials to discuss the world’s shared vulnerability and identify opportunities for further bilateral collaboration and climate action.

Former California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., who chairs the Institute – housed at the University of California, Berkeley – joined outgoing president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries Madam Li Xiaolin and incoming president of the Association, Ambassador Lin Songtian, to open the discussion. That was followed by remarks from Founder and Chairman of the Paulson Institute and former Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Hank Paulson and former Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Zhou Wenzhong. 

The dialogue continued with remarks by Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg LP founder and three-term New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Center for American Progress Founder and former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta and Tsinghua University Center for International Security and Strategy Professor and Dean Madam Fu Ying. Finally, California Air Resource Board Chair Mary Nichols and Hewlett Foundation Director for Environment Program Jonathan Pershing led an exchange with the group on next steps and the path forward. 

The California-China Climate Institute was launched in September 2019 and is a University of California-wide initiative housed jointly at UC Berkeley’s School of Law – through its Center for Law, Energy & the Environment – and College of Natural Resources. It is led by Governor Brown in partnership with Xie Zhenhua, China’s Special Representative for Climate Change Affairs, and the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development at Tsinghua University – one of China’s preeminent research institutions. The Institute also works closely with other University of California campuses, departments and leaders. Through joint research, training and dialogue, this Institute will inform national policy makers, foster dialogue and cooperation, and promote the implementation of climate solutions at all levels.