Energy security and climate change: key outcomes from the Sino-German Track II Dialogue presented at COP29
In the afternoon of 19 November 2024, the outcomes of the Sino-German Track II Dialogue on Climate Change and Sustainable Development were presented during a side event at the China Pavilion of the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. The side event was organized by the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC) and co-organized by the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA), the Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Committee of the Chinese Society of Environmental Sciences, Hebei University of Economics and Business, and Azerbaijan State University.
Progress and results of the Track II Dialogue in 2024
During the event, Xu Huaqing, Chief Scientist of NCSC, and Dirk Messner, Director General of the German Federal Environment Agency, jointly presented the overall progress of the Sino-German Track II Dialogue in the year 2024. They introduced a working paper “Sino-German Energy Security”, written by Working Group 1 of the Track II Dialogue. The paper evaluates the different responses from Germany and China to the 2021-2023 energy security crises, focusing on strategies to achieve energy security while meeting Paris Agreement goals amidst ongoing global energy transformations.
Contribution to global climate change cooperation
In his keynote speech, China’s Special Envoy for Climate Change Affairs Liu Zhenmin emphasized the importance of global cooperation in addressing the climate crisis. He stated that the Sino-German Track II Dialogue on Climate Change and Sustainable Development is of great significance for promoting national autonomous contributions and global climate governance. Mr. Liu hopes that the “Track II” mechanism will continue to leverage the key role of experts and think tanks in decision-making and consulting, and further promoting exchanges and cooperation between the two sides in terms of relevant policies, scientific knowledge, and best practices. This, he said, would form a useful complement to the official exchanges between the two sides.
Jennifer Morgan, State Secretary and Special Envoy for Climate Change Affairs of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, echoed Liu’s words, stating that the climate crisis is a global problem which needs global solutions. She praised the joint efforts of Germany and China to promote a zero-carbon economy and global climate action. These efforts have led to the establishment of a working mechanism for regular dialogue, joint research and exchange visits at the expert level, which will have far-reaching implications for accelerating the energy transition in their own countries and around the world.
Ongoing GIZ support for Sino-German Track II Dialogue
The Sino-German Track II Dialogue, which is supported by the GIZ project “Sino-German Climate Change Cooperation – Climate Partnership”, has been facilitating regular exchanges between Chinese and German climate experts since December 2020. The dialogue was designed to complement the political dialogue with opportunities for technical exchange on best practices and mutual learning to achieve a common understanding on pressing climate issues at technical level. It also seeks to develop an understanding of what kind of research, multilateral cooperation and national instruments are needed for the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
During the discussions of the 9th Plenary Meeting, which took place on 16-17 October 2024 in Potsdam, Germany, participants emphasized that cooperation between Germany and China can make a significant contribution to strengthening the multilateral order. Both sides also underlined that the Track II Dialogue, due to its technical-scientific orientation, represents a channel of discussion which is kept open even in politically challenging times.
