The 8th Sino-German Track 2 Dialogue on Climate Change and Sustainable Development convened at Fudan University in Shanghai from 27 to 28 May 2024, co-hosted by the German Environment Agency (UBA) and the Chinese National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC), and supported by GIZ. This significant event gathered prominent experts from China and Germany to address urgent global climate challenges. UBA President Prof Dirk Messner and NCSC Director-General Xu Huaqing jointly moderated the dialogue.
Jennifer Morgan, State Secretary of the German Foreign Ministry and Special Envoy for International Climate Action, delivered a video speech to reaffirm this initiative as a complementation to the official government dialogue by providing strategic advice to aid in the implementation of international climate agreements, including the Paris Agreement. Wu Qizhou, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment, and Prof. Chen Zhimin, Vice President of Fudan University gave an opening remark respectively to encourage international cooperation at both the municipal level and the academic level.
The Track 2 Dialogue focuses on the long-term challenges, emerging areas and hot spotlights of common interest to China, Germany and the world in addressing climate change and realizing sustainable development, including Long-term Strategies and Just Transition, Data and Transparency, Climate Change Loss and Damage, Biodiversity and Climate Change, Global Climate Governance and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
Chinese participants included members of the National Panel of Experts on Climate Change, leading experts from NCSC, National Climate Centre, Beijing University of Technology, Shanghai Economic Information Center, Shanghai Environment and Energy Exchange, and Fudan Institute of Planning and Architectural Design. German experts came from UBA, Öko-Institut, Agora Energy China, University of Stuttgart, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie marine et continentale, and Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology.
Participants praised the Track 2 Dialogue for its insightful exchanges and the collaborative spirit exhibited by all involved. They recognized that experts and think tanks of the two countries have played a vital role in supporting policy decision-making in their countries, deepening policy exchanges between China and Germany, and joining hands to promote global climate governance.
The Sino-German Track 2 Dialogue exemplifies the power of international cooperation in addressing climate change. By fostering mutual understanding and collaboration, this initiative not only strengthens bilateral relations but also contributes significantly to global efforts to achieve sustainable development and combat climate change.
