On behalf of the International Climate Initiative (IKI), the GIZ global project “Mobilize Net Zero” has organised the 8th edition of the “Transport and Climate Change Week (TCCW)” in Berlin, from 23 to 27 September 2025. This annual flagship event serves as a global platform for policymakers, technical experts, researchers, and practitioners from GIZ partner countries to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and collaborate on low-carbon and climate-resilient transport solutions.
On 25 September, the CDFT Project invited a delegation from China’s Ministry of Transport (MoT) to participate in the “Symposium Day”, which featured high-level discussions on climate targets up to 2035, global value chains, and maritime innovation. Above all, the meeting underscored that transport transformation, from e-buses to sea transport, is not only a global challenge, but needs to be tackled through a cross-sectoral approach, highlighting the crucial role of sector-coupling. Furthermore, the delegation also participated in various sessions and side events on financing mechanisms, climate adaptation and the “Champions for Feminist Transport”, reaffirming their commitment to inclusive mobility.
During the high-level panel “Targeting Transport Decarbonisation: What Is Needed up to 2035?”, Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), highlighted transport as “one of the most pressing areas” for climate action, while Yin Zhenjun, Director of Division of the MoT, shared China’s major developments and policy progress in decarbonising transport. He shed light on the country’s ongoing efforts to promote new energy vehicles, improve charging infrastructure, and strengthen integrated planning for transport decarbonisation.
Supported by the CDFT project, the delegation also held bilateral discussions with the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) and the BMUKN, focusing on cooperation in decarbonising freight transport. These exchanges demonstrated not only common challenges, such as the expansion of charging infrastructure and fast-charging networks, but also opportunities for policy learning. Some EU regulatory innovations in the transport sector, such as the additional two-tonne load allowance for e-trucks, are currently also under consideration in China. Furthermore, the discussions highlighted that while both countries are testing combined passenger and freight transport models, in Germany such activities are still primarily driven by the private sector with limited government support. Hydrogen-based transport, meanwhile, is generally seen as less viable in the near term.
