On 1 March 2021 at 13:00 (CET), IIED is hosting a webinar on "China, Ecological Civilisation, and Green Economy Vision: 2021 and beyond".
As governments around the world move to green their economies in the next decade – including shaping green recoveries from COVID-19 – China’s policy and governance approaches loom larger than ever.
China’s size and remarkable economic growth has given rise to sharply contrasting trends in its green economy transition. It has nearly half of the world’s coal power stations, but also more installed renewable energy than any other country. The Chinese Communist Party, especially under President Jinping, has been alive to the fact that rapid industrialisation has exacted a heavy environmental cost.
Recognising growing public anger over environmental issues as a genuine threat to China’s domestic stability, ‘ecological civilisation’ has been enshrined as a national strategic priority and been a foundation for domestic reforms of environmental and economic governance. What has been less clear is the role ‘eco-civilisation’ might play internationally, through its alignment or divergence from ‘green economy’ and ‘inclusive green growth’ agendas promoted around the world by NGOs and UN agencies, or ‘green deals’ emerging in the United States and Europe.
This webinar will explore the role of ‘eco-civilisation’ in China’s environmental leadership and what is required for China to become a global force for green economic transition in 2021 and beyond.