China's climate policy in the run-up to COP26: What role for Europe?

2020/21 are decisive years in international climate policy. All countries signatories are called upon to significantly increase their climate commitments in the run-up to the climate summit in Glasgow (COP26) - in 2021. A massive upscaling of efforts is needed for the world to achieve the Paris climate targets.

After the EU Commission took the lead by supporting an enhanced EU ambition of 55% emission cuts by 2030, Xi Jinping surprised many by announcing in front of the UN general assembly, that China would peak its emissions before 2030 and aim for carbon neutrality in 2060.

Does this chain of events confirm the vision of an EU-China leadership or even partnership on climate change? How does this vision square with the greatly increased tensions between the EU and China, but also between the US and China? Is China’s announcement to be taken seriously, and what internal and external determinants does China's energy and climate policy follow? What influence can Europe realistically have on Chinese climate policy?

What new dynamics will result from a possible presidency of Joe Biden in the USA? What role can COP15 of the Biodiversity Convention, the G7 and G20 summits play in the run-up to the Glasgow climate summit? And in all of this: what role can and must Germany play as a central country in Europe?

These are questions we would like to explore in this international roundtable organised by Heinrich Böll Stiftung and Germanwatch. The open discussion under the Chatham House Rule aims at contributing to strategy and opinion-forming after the US elections.

Participation is strictly by invitation only.

Contact:
Jörg Haas (Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung)
E-Mail: haas@boell.de

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