Earlier in December 2023, Energy Foundation China (EF China) organized a comprehensive series of roundtables and dialogues over five days of intensive activities at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai. Over the course of 17 events featuring more than a hundred speakers, we successfully created a bridge enabling robust China-international communication after years of pandemic-induced distancing. Our pavilion proudly served as a hub for both formal and informal community-building and exchange, as we worked to fulfill our theme of “Enhancing Ambition Through Implementation.”

Here is a roundup of highlights of EF China’s COP28 Pavilion:

We kicked off our pavilion with a High-Level Forum and Philanthropy Roundtable featuring remarks by Liu Zhenmin, the former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, former Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Senior Advisor to China Special Envoy for Climate Change.

We co-hosted an Expert Meeting of the Special Policy Study of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) on the Pathway to Carbon Neutrality and China’s Role in Global Climate Governance; and we hosted a lively U.S.-China Track II Dialogue to discuss next steps on implementing the Sunnylands Statement, especially sub-nationally.

Meanwhile, on the margins of our pavilion, EF China held numerous bilateral meetings with leaders or representatives of partners like International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the World Bank, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Harvard University, Columbia University, University of Maryland, London School of Political and Economic Sciences, World Resources Institute (WRI), Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), colleagues from international philanthropy and other international NGOs, as well as with governmental officials from China and the United States.

With these activities and engagements, EF China played a systematic bridging role in facilitating the exchange of climate policy-related knowledge and information between China and the rest of the world, continued to build the infrastructure to link China and the world for deeper and professional global climate collaboration, broadened our international and domestic networks, sent out messages based on our vision and findings, and enabled more partners to better understand EF China.

Finally, we are delighted to share one additional piece of news from COP28: An EF China-supported pilot was awarded as a COP28 “Energy Transition Changemaker.” Zhuangshang Village, China’s first rural demonstration project incorporating photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation, energy storage, direct current distribution, and flexible loads in buildings won the award on December 5. The project, located in Shanxi Province, was supported by EF China and led by Mr. Chen Wenbo, president and founder of Nanjing Golden Company, who was born in the village. Beginning in 2020, EF China provided the first philanthropic funding to support exploring the innovative building solution known as “PEDF.” Zhuangshang Village has shown that PEDF can significantly improve villagers’ living conditions—and health—by replacing coal-fired energy systems with solar power solutions, increase solar PV penetration, alleviate rural grid capacity shortage issues, and strengthen rural load regulation.

The overall agenda, along with detailed agendas for each session we hosted, are available online here.

We also published a number of articles in Chinese only on our website and our WeChat channel summarizing our pavilion content. Here are the links:

• Towards a Zero Emission Power System
• Dialogue Series: Renewable Energy Investment & Finance
• Third Meeting of EF China’s Advisory Roundtable on China’s Long-Term Strategy for Low-GHG Emission Development
• The Elephant in the Room—Just and Inclusive Transitions in Fossil Fuel Regions
• International Workshop on EnhancingMethane Mitigation Efforts in China
• Synergy of World-Class Air Quality, Safe Climate, and Sustainable Energy—Catalyzing and Driving Practical Actions
• Climate Communications: Navigating Complexity and Finding Solutions
• Entrepreneurs’ Initiative for COP28: Green Innovation for Economic Growth, Energy Transition, and Climate Safety