Sino-German Cooperation on Climate Change – NDC Implementation

The Sino-German Cooperation on Climate Change – NDC Implementation contributes to the implementation of ambitious climate policies within the framework of the 14th Five-Year Plan. In particular, the project supports the development of knowledge, resources, and capacities within the national government, as well as within the administrations of selected provinces. Key issues include the national coordination of climate policies and climate legislation. In addition, the project cooperates with provinces and cities on mitigating greenhouse gases, adapting to climate change, and developing climate finance opportunities. The cooperation also includes mitigation in industrial sectors. Political dialogue with Germany is also an important element of the project.

As the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, China faces many challenges in achieving the nationally determined contributions (NDC) it has set for 2030. Within the framework of the Sino-German Cooperation on Climate Change, the three projects Sino-German Cooperation on Climate Change – Climate Partnership, Sino-German Cooperation on Climate Change – NDC Implementation, and Sino-German Cooperation on Emissions Trading Systems, Carbon Market Mechanisms, and Industry-related N2O Mitigation support China in achieving its climate policy targets.

DURATION
5 years

09/2020

09/2025

COMMISSIONED BY

What we work on

Cooperate on Cement Sector Best Practice

Industrial emissions account for approximately 40% of Chinese greenhouse gas emissions. Their main sources are the production of steel and cement for infrastructure and construction. Significant mitigation potential and economic growth can be realised through efficiency gains and technological innovation. Against this backdrop, the project cooperates with the cement sector as part of the Cooperation on Sectoral Best Practice work stream. The Chinese cement industry does not only hold high mitigation potential, the persisting efficiency gap in process- and energy-related emissions is also a shared concern of China and the EU. Thus, the sector has been selected as a focal sector for identifying proven carbon reduction measures. In an initial discussion between Chinese and German experts, the needs of the former have been identified and will serve as the basis for future activities. Cooperation with further sectors is planned over the course of the project period.
Climate Legislation

The Chinese government is determined to strengthen its legislative framework for climate policies and has been engaged in intensive international exchange and research over the last ten years. Throughout this time, GIZ has supported these efforts on behalf of BMU. Building on this trust-based working relationship between the two governments, the project continues to support Chinese climate legislation work through a range of activities. Through the Climate Legislation work stream, it supports Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in improving its capacity on climate legislation and its legislative framework on low-carbon transition. Furthermore, the project supports the organisation of workshops at the local level targeting officials and experts. Additionally, a comparative study of German and Chinese climate legislation will be conducted based on the research results and the exchange of experts at the local level.
Adaptation

The main objectives of China's national adaptation effort are to achieve significantly enhanced adaptive capacity, full implementation of key tasks, and the basic formation of regional patterns. The project carries out case studies and fosters multi-channel, multi-level, and diversified cooperation among Chinese and German parties. Our Chinese partners are NCSC and Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Lastly, it contributes to a monitor and indicator system for adaptation which will enable the Chinese government agencies to get adaptation-related information.
Climate Finance and Investment

China’s progress on developing climate finance and investment has mainly been focused on the national level. Thus, while contributing through training courses to national level capacity building, the project also sets out to enhance climate finance strategies and access to international climate financing at the city level. The partner cities Qingdao and Xi’an will be supported by contributing to the building-up of an NDC project database, holding climate investment catalyst sessions, and enhancing climate finance action plans. This is complemented by research on German and European experiences with climate finance to distil lessons learned for partners at different levels.
Cross-cutting: Capacity building & knowledge sharing

As a cross-cutting measure, the project collaborates with its partners in disseminating and replicating the outcomes of project activities in China and third countries. It also supports the MEE DCC in conducting capacity building activities on the topic of climate policy and NDC implementation at the provincial and city level.

Mitigation in Shandong

In the context of China’s target to peak its emissions before 2030, there is strong political interest in developing ambitious climate protection action at the provincial and local level. However, systematic and clear plans to meet climate goals are frequently lacking. Against this backdrop, the project engages with selected provinces to support the development of emission peaking plans and their implementation. Shandong is one of the provinces which is supported within this work stream, with the Ecology Institute of Shandong Academy of Sciences as partner. Shandong is characterised by pronounced economic activity, large energy consumption, and high CO2 emissions, and thus has great potential for emission reduction. To this end, a comparison between Chinese and German climate policies will be conducted and suggestions for a carbon peaking pathway for Shandong will be developed within the scope of this cooperation.

Mitigation in Inner Mongolia

In the context of China’s target to peak its emissions before 2030, there is strong political interest in developing ambitious climate protection action at the provincial and local level. However, there is often a lack of systematic and clear plans to achieve climate targets. Therefore, the project engages with selected provinces to support the development of emission peaking plans and their implementation. Inner Mongolia Autonomous is one of the provinces which is supported within this work stream. Inner Mongolia is characterised by a high dependence on coal energy, of which the projects partner cities Hulun Buir and Xing An League are typical examples. With the support from Eco-environment Low-carbon Development Center of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, affiliated with the Department of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia offers great, partly untapped potential for low carbon development and expansion of renewable energy. Thus, there is considerable potential for lowering emissions and the development of renewable energy, both of which are supported within the framework of this work stream.

Partners

January Workshop with Adaptation Experts

January 31, 2022

The workshop was opened by Dr GAO Xiang from NCSC and Mr Steffen MENZEL of the GIZ NDC Implementation project who also introduced the participants from NCSC, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Tsinghua University, Beijing Normal University, and Climate Analytics (CA).

Research proposal exchange with Chinese cement sector experts

January 28, 2022

During the workshop on 26 January, the NDCI project‘s workstream on sectoral best practices met up with Chinese partners and experts from the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC), the Energy Research Institute (ERI), China Cement Association, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in order to discuss next steps for the planned cooperation on aligning the Chinese cement sector with the Chinese NDC targets.

Exchange with Chinese experts on emissions-intensive industries

January 14, 2022

On 13 January, the NDC implementation project discussed possible topics for emission reduction studies in selected sectors to be prepared together with Chinese experts.