Project: Sino German Cooperation on Climate Change - Climate Partnership

On 5 November 2025, the Sino-German Cooperation on Climate Change – Climate Partnership (KP4) project co-hosted a workshop on climate stress testing together with the UK–China (Guangdong) CCUS Center. The workshop brought together representatives from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), the National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA), the Foreign Economic Cooperation Office (FECO), the Financial Union, the China Banking Association and financial institutions.

On 17 November 2025, experts from the German-Chinese Track 2 Dialogue presented their joint publication on nature-based solutions for climate protection and biodiversity conservation at a side event in the German Pavilion at the 30th World Climate Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil. Led by Prof. Dr Wolfgang Cramer and Prof. Dr Binbin Wang, the experts called for rapid and holistic action, emphasising the integrated implementation of the Rio Conventions to harness synergies between climate mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity conservation.

As part of the “NextGen Climate Dialogues” series, the Sino-German Cooperation on Climate Change – Climate Partnership project has recently organised three dialogues at Beijing University of Technology, Peking University, and Tsinghua University, providing students with a platform to engage in open discussions with experts and leaders in the climate field.

In 2024, China experienced its warmest year on record, facing an alarming increase of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and typhoons. As the impact of climate change accelerates globally, countries are under increasing pressure to strengthen their ability to anticipate, assess, and respond to climate-induced risks. Climate risk assessments and early warning systems are indispensable tools in this effort, enabling governments to protect vulnerable populations, reduce economic losses, and steer adaptation policies effectively.

From 10 to 22 August 2025, over 40 emerging climate leaders studying at Chinese and German universities gathered in Munich and the Bavarian Alps for the second edition of the Sino-German Study Camp. Organized by the project “Sino-German Cooperation on Climate Change – Climate Partnership”, in partnership with the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Tsinghua University, this intensive two-week program offered a dynamic platform for interdisciplinary learning, cultural exchange, and hands-on collaboration.

In June, a delegation of the Climate Investment and Finance Association (CIFA) visited Europe to exchange on climate- and sustainable finance. The trip included workshops and meetings with key institutions like the Deutsche Bundesbank and the European Commission. Topics covered climate risk management, sustainable information disclosure, and transition finance.

A decade has passed since most of the jurisdictions united behind the Paris Agreement, setting a collective climate ambition to limit global warming and steer humanity towards a more sustainable future. During its 10th anniversary, GIZ and the World Resources Institute (WRI) co-hosted a subforum themed on “Towards COP30: Financing the Acceleration of Global Climate Action” in Beijing on 22 May 2025, with support from the Climate Investment and Finance Committee of the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences (CIFA).

Sustainable transportation is a key pillar in the global fight against climate change. As countries strive to reduce carbon emissions, the freight transport sector remains one of the most challenging areas to decarbonise. Tackling this issue requires innovative solutions, supportive policy frameworks, and robust cross-border collaboration. Young professionals and future leaders have a crucial role to play in this effort, bringing fresh perspectives and fostering international dialogue on sustainable mobility. Against this backdrop, a dynamic exchange on sustainable freight transport and climate protection was convened at Beijing Transport University on 3 April 2025, bringing together over 100 Chinese students and German experts.

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 Trade, and Azerbaijan State University.

From 13 to 20 October 2024, the Sino-German Cooperation on Climate Change – Climate Partnership project organised a study tour on sustainable and climate finance

Thailand made great progress to address climate change. Alongside an anticipated law on climate change, the country is developing its emission trading scheme, sustainable finance taxonomies, and leveraging its capital markets to mobilize incremental funding for a transformation towards sustainable development. As response a workshop on sustainable finance was organized.

Two events took place in Beijing in September 2024, supported by the Sino-German Climate Partnership, a project implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Foreign Office: the first Sino-German Climate Study Camp, organized in collaboration with Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Tsinghua University, as well as the third keynote lecture of the NextGen Climate Dialogue series. These events strengthened contacts and enabled exchange between young climate leaders from China, Germany, and other European nations, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to tackle the global climate challenge. They also provided a platform for engagement on climate science, policy, and action to those students who sought a better understanding of the science of climate change and avenues for climate action.

Ms. Jennifer Morgan, State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action from the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, and Prof. Dirk Messner, president of the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA), kicked off the NextGen Climate Dialogue Series with lectures two renown Chinese universities. The events took place after the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visited the Tongji University in April 2024 and highlighted the importance of Sino-German cooperation and academic exchange to address global climate challenges.

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.

Following the successful kick-off in March, more than 20 Chinese and German representatives and practitioners from financial institutions and experts in sustainable finance gathered in Beijing on 29 May for the first workshop of the Sino-German Expert Dialogues Series on Sustainable Finance Products and Practices. Hosted by the GIZ and supported by the Institute of Finance and Sustainability (IFS) and Climate & Company, the hybrid workshop focused on the pivotal role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the green transformation and sustainable debt-based financial instruments.

On 13 May 2024, more than 120 participants from the government, financial institutions, companies, academia, and think tanks attended the Subforum on Climate Investment and Finance for Accelerating Urban Transition in Beijing, to share their insights on global trends, international experiences and China’s innovative practices on climate finance.

On 14 March 2024, more than 40 Chinese and German experts, practitioners, and policy makers discussed technical approaches on how to make finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development. The high-level participants included financial regulators, commercial and development banks, rating agencies, academia, global initiatives and think tanks

On 2 December 2023, the side event entitled “From a Germany-China Track 2 Dialogue (T2D) Perspective: China’s and Germany’s Contribution to the Acceleration of the Renewable Energy Expansion in light of the global stocktake” took place at the German Pavilion at COP 28. Zhao Yingmin, Vice Minister of the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and Jennifer Morgan, State Secretary of the German Foreign Ministry and Special Envoy for International Climate Action, delivered speeches. This event was jointly hosted by the German Environment Agency (UBA) and the Chinese National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC), and supported by GIZ.

In order to close the significant financing gaps to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and to promote sustainability in the financial sector by integrating ESG factors into investment decision-making, we recognise the urgent need for leading financial professionals to strengthen their expertise on sustainable finance. International expert exchange can play an important role in this regard. To this end, a delegation visit to Germany and Norway was organised by the GIZ-implemented IKI project Sino-German Cooperation on Climate Change – Climate Partnership from 5 to 11 November 2023, which facilitated Sino-European technical exchange of financial market professionals and academia.

A Chinese delegation visited Germany to participate in the seventh steering committee meeting of the Sino-German Track II Dialogue (T2D) on Climate Change and Sustainable Development and other meetings from 23 to 25 October 2023. Hosted by the German Environment Agency (UBA), the steering committee meeting saw exchanges between high-level experts from both countries, led by UBA President Prof Dirk Messner and National Centre for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC) Director General Prof Xu Huaqing.

On 25 May 2023, Zhongshan Xiaolan Low-Carbon Development & Promotion Center, as the implementation agency of the first IKI Small Grants project in China, hosted

The first phase of the Sino-German Track II Dialogue (T2D) on Climate Change and Sustainable Development, a joint initiative between China and Germany, has concluded successfully, paving the way for its second stage. This significant development was announced at the 6th Steering Committee meeting held in Beijing from 26 to 27 April 2023.

The 12th meeting of the Sino-German Working Group on Environment and Climate Change (SGWG) was held virtually on 27 April 2023.

On 6 April 2023, GIZ and the World Resources Institute (WRI) successfully co-organized the subforum on International Experience and Chinese Practices as part of the 2023 China International Forum on Climate Investment and Finance. The subforum included two sessions: Climate Investment and Financing for Carbon Neutrality: Ambitious Strategy, Market Practices, and Product Innovation and Incentivize Investment for Climate Change Adaptation: Climate Risk Management and Climate Resilient Urban Infrastructure Development. Jiang Zhaoli, Deputy Director General of the Department of Climate Change of Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE-DCC), Thorsten Giehler, Region Director of GIZ East Asia, and Fang Li, Chief Representative of WRI China, delivered opening speeches for the forum.

On 24 February 2023, the 5th Steering Committee Meeting of the Sino-German Track II Dialogue (T2D) on Climate Change and Sustainable Development was successfully held online. Organised by GIZ, the meeting was led by the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC) in China and the German Environment Agency (UBA).

On 24 February 2023, a capacity-building workshop on climate finance was held successfully in Chengdu of Sichuan Province under the guidance of the provincial Department of Ecology and Environment of Sichuan and the People´s Bank of China (PBoC) Chengdu Branch.

On May 24, 2022, the Chinese and German experts of the four working groups of the Sino-German Track-2-Dialogue (T2D) came together virtually to present the results of their collaboration at the fourth Steering Committee Meeting.

On 9 November, Prof. MESSNER, President of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), and XU Huaqing, Director of the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC), met during the 26th World Climate Conference in Glasgow to discuss upcoming topics concerning the Track 2 Dialogue (T2D).

On 9 December 2021, the 11th Sino-German Working Group Meeting on Environment and Climate Change took place in a hybrid format.

The new Climate Transparency report was the main topic of the Steering Committee Meeting.

The 23rd Forum on Carbon Neutrality and Green Developmentfeatured contributions on China’s path toward carbon neutrality, sustainable development, green energy policies, and international best practices.