GEI Graduates from US-China EcoPartnership for Energy and Environmental Cooperation
BEIJING (June 6, 2016) – GEI and its US-based partner and think tank, Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) officially graduated from the US-China Ecopartnerships Program at a special ceremony attended by major American and Chinese universities, corporations, NGOs and government officials, including Yang Jiechi, State Councilor, from China and US Secretary of State, John Kerry.
About US – China EcoPartnerships
In the post-Paris period, progress towards limiting global warming to under 2oC will require the combined efforts of governments, businesses, society and all organizations in between. The US-China EcoPartnerships program connects Chinese and American efforts by linking cities, universities, NGOs and firms from both nations in bilateral or trilateral cooperative partnerships. These partners work together toward a specific innovative solution to which they each provide insight, expertise and on-the-ground work. After a five-year period, they ‘graduate’ from the program and a new class of innovators commence.
The program is jointly run by the US Department of State and China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), both of which sanctify the partnerships and their respective projects.
CCS President and CEO, Tom Peterson, (L), and GEI Executive Director JIN Jiaman (R) hold their official Ecopartnerships Certificate – GEI 2016
GEI and our long-standing US-partner, the Center for Climate Strategies (CCS), joined the EcoPartnerships program in 2011 and as of Monday, June 6, 2016, have officially graduated! GEI’s Executive Director, Madame JIN Jiaman and CCS President and CEO, Tom Peterson each gave brief remarks at the ceremony. Madame JIN extended thanks to CCS, NDRC, US State Department for their support as well as to the program sponsors, Rockefeller Brothers Foundation (RBF) and Oak Foundation. She spoke on the importance of the cooperation with CCS and the knowledge sharing that enabled the project’s success.
Jin Jiaman addressing the Ecopartnerships Ceremony – GEI 2016
GEI & CCS’s Ecopartnership
Over the past five years, GEI and CCS have worked tirelessly to develop and perfect our Low-Carbon Development (LCD) Toolkit and to disseminate it throughout China in training sessions for governments and officials. Over the past years, we have spread the toolkit to 10 different provinces and 2 municipalities through our training sessions, ultimately enabling over 1,000 government officials to make implementable and efficient policies to achieve low-carbon goals.
During the Ecopartnership, our main focus was completing a pilot project in Chongqing from 2012-2014. During these two years, we tailored the toolkit to China and to Chongqing’s specific needs. Then, we helped the government officials craft the most suitable policies to achieve Chongqing’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emission goals. At the end of the project, we completed the “Analysis of Low Carbon Policies Chongqing 12th 5-Year Plan and Recommendations” and were awarded a ‘Certification of Result Application’ by the Chongqing DRC.
Representatives from CCS and GEI celebrate this great accomplishment. From L to R: Fan Zhang (CCS Policy Analyst), Tom Peterson (CCS President and CEO), JIN Jiaman (GEI Executive Director), YU Qingchan (GEI Energy and Climate Change Program Manager), Kendall Bitonte (GEI Communications) – GEI 2016
US Secretary of State, John Kerry, attended the graduation ceremony to congratulate the six, including GEI and CCS, graduating partnerships and usher in the incoming six partners for this program. In his speech, Mr. Kerry stressed that innovative solutions will come from these cross-sector partnerships and that government will play a supporting role. Also, not to brag, but GEI and CCS’s partnership and achievement in Chongqing was mentioned, not once but twice, by the Secretary!
US Secretary of State, John Kerry, speaks at the US-China Ecopartnerships Ceremony – GEI 2016
We’re excited for the next stage of our cooperation and enabling more of China to achieve its low carbon targets. Stay tuned to learn more!
How does the GEI and CCS LCD Toolkit work?
Our toolkit has four major steps that integrate 7 sectors (industry, energy, agriculture, forestry, transportation, construction and waste management) sub-registration rights. By integrating these seven sectors, we can ensure that the toolkit is as thorough as possible.
Our Toolkit’s 4 Steps:
- Conduct an energy & GHG baseline
- Develop Low-Carbon Development Policies choose policies to analyze further
- Analyze direct micro-economic impacts
- Analyze indirect macro-economic impacts
These steps emphasize policies that are science-based and implementable rather than those based on experience and lacking a clear path for achieving the stated goals. After the analyze stage, the officials can choose the best policy and have steps to implement.
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