What a carbon-neutral China means for Europe - with Miranda Schreurs

What a carbon-neutral China means for Europe - with Miranda Schreurs

Author: Beijing Energy Network May 22, 2021 Duration: 28:38

Today, we are talking about the institutions and international politics of China's climate policy with Professor Miranda Schreurs, Chair of Environmental and Climate Policy at the Bavarian School of Public Policy, and vice dean of Technical University of Munich's school of governance, where she has served since 2016. Prior to this she was Director of the Environmental Policy Research Center and Professor of Comparative Politics at the Freie Universität Berlin. She has served as member of the German Advisory Council on the Environment and as vice chair of the European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils since 2008. She was also a tenured associate Professor in the Department of Government and Politics, University of Maryland. Schreurs' work focuses on comparative environmental politics and policy in Europe, the US, and East Asia. She was born and raised in the United States and has also lived for extended periods in Japan and Germany and briefly in the Netherlands. She has a PhD from the University of Michigan and an MA and BA from the University of Washington.

Here are the key questions we discuss:

01:41 - Has Europe been positively surprised by China carbon developments in the last year?

03:00 - Would you say that the mutual cooperation and agreement on climate outweighs disputes on trade policy in the energy field?

07:25 - Does Europe now view China as a climate leader?

10:05 - How does Europe expect China to react to the carbon border adjustment tax?

13:00 - Regarding Prof Schreurs' past work on Multi-level Perspectives on climate governance, does she see climate policy in China becoming more centralized?

15:30 - The role of provincial and local pilots in climate-related policy

17:10 - The extent to which provinces may drag their feet on climate policy

19:30 - Incentives for local officials on environmental performance

20:30 - How did the concept of carbon neutrality come to be recognized as viable for China?

25:00 - The role of the carbon market in China compared to other policies

Important links:

https://www.professoren.tum.de/en/schreurs-miranda

Miranda Schreurs, "Multi-level Climate Governance in China," 2017:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316246858_Multi-level_Climate_Governance_in_China 


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.
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