The Guide to Chinese Climate Policy - with David Sandalow and Michal Meidan

The Guide to Chinese Climate Policy - with David Sandalow and Michal Meidan

Author: Beijing Energy Network December 2, 2022 Duration: 29:21

Today, we're discussing the newly released Guide to Chinese Climate Policy, published by the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. The book is available for free download at https://chineseclimatepolicy.oxfordenergy.org/. We are welcoming two past guests back onto the podcast: David Sandalow and Michal Meidan, who co-authored the Guide along with Anders Hove (OIES), Philip Andrews-Speed, Edmund Downie (Princeton), and Sally Qiu (Columbia).

In our discussion, we touch on the following:

  • China's emissions trends
  • The main drivers of emissions for each fossil fuel
  • Whether China is committed to its climate goals, given near-term economic issues
  • Why China is still building coal
  • Trends in nuclear power
  • The role of market reforms
  • And lastly, David reports on his main takeaways from COP27 in Egypt

 

Professor David Sandalow is the Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. Prior to Columbia, David served in senior positions in the US government – at the White House, State Department and US Department of Energy. He's also served in various roles at the Brookings Institution, the Clinton Global Initiative, and the World Wildlife Fund. He is the author of numerous reports and articles about China energy and environmental policies and trends, and he's very knowledgeable about China. He joined us on episode 62, to talk about the 2019 version of the Guide.

Dr Michal Meidan is Director of the China Programme at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. Before joining OIES in July 2019, she headed cross-commodity China research at Energy Aspects. Prior to that, she headed China Matters, an independent research consultancy providing analysis on the politics of energy in China. She is the author of numerous academic papers, articles, and books related to China, energy, and political economy.


Produced by the Beijing Energy Network, Environment China is a bilingual podcast that delves into the complex and vital stories shaping China's ecological landscape. Rather than offering broad pronouncements, it focuses on grounded conversations with the people on the front lines: the advocates campaigning for change, the entrepreneurs building sustainable solutions, and the researchers providing crucial data. Each episode explores the intersection of society, culture, and science, revealing how environmental policy and daily life are intertwined. You'll hear specific discussions about conservation efforts, green technology, urban design, and community initiatives, all framed within the unique context of modern China. This podcast provides a necessary platform for these nuanced voices, translating complex issues into accessible dialogue. It’s an essential listen for anyone seeking to move beyond headlines and understand the real-world work being done to address environmental challenges. By listening to Environment China, you gain insight into the multifaceted movement towards sustainability, one conversation at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Environment China
Podcast Episodes
Mapping China's Overseas Financing - with Yunnan Chen and Teal Emery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:49
In this episode we continue our series on China's overseas investment trends. In the first episode, we talked with Christoph Nedopil about Chinese investment in the Belt-and Road Initiative (BRI) countries, how both gree…
China's Green Leap Outward - with Mathias Larsen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:49
Today, we're continuing our series on China's external investments in the energy field, focusing in particular on China's outbound investments in clean energy manufacturing. Our guest today is Mathias Larsen. Mathias is…
China's Surging BRI Investments - with Christoph Nedopil-Wang [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:25
In today's episode, we take a deep dive into the latest stats on China's surging investments in the Belt-and-Road Initiative countries. Energy investment is up, but we learn that this was both the 'greenest and dirtiest'…
China's New NDC - Where do we go from here? - with Kate Logan, ASPI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:58
China recently released its official NDC, or Nationally Determined Contribution document, laying out a commitment to reduce carbon emissions 'from peak' by 7-10% by 2035. The document was widely seen as disappointing. No…
Young Professionals in Sustainability: Jialu Zuo (in Chinese) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:06
In the latest episode of Environment China's podcast, we speak to Jialu Zuo. Jialu is a sustainability specialist at China National Aviation Fuel Group (CNAF), focusing on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and internationa…