In November 2019, board members of Energy Foundation China and senior representatives of international philanthropies in the field of climate change, environmental protection, and sustainable energy met Chen Jining, Mayor of the Beijing Municipality. Together, they witnessed the signing of a cooperation framework agreement between Beijing’s Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau and Energy Foundation China (2019-2023) by Chen Tian, Director General of the bureau, and Zou Ji, CEO and President of the foundation.

Mr. Chen thanked Energy Foundation China for its support to the environmental improvement in Beijing for the past two decades. He said that over the years Beijing had vigorously advanced the development of a green and low carbon city, made continuous efforts to control air pollution, develop a green transportation system, apply energy-saving technologies in buildings, ensure a clean energy mix, transform to a low carbon industrial structure, and thus made remarkable achievements in boosting green development. Energy Foundation China had supported the city to research on relevant policies and contributed to its endeavor to improve the environment; the two parties shall seize the opportunity of the agreement and strengthen cooperation in environmental protection, as well as in the fight against climate change and other fields, according to him.

ZOU Ji said that Energy Foundation China was partnering with Beijing to support research analysis on the overall strategy for “ecological civilization” and on how to build a livable city featuring green, low carbon, and innovation-driven development. Going forward, Energy Foundation China would work with Beijing in air quality, Winter Olympic Games, cooling efficiency, low carbon transportation and buildings, and other topics, and facilitate exchange programs between Beijing and cities in the U.S. and other countries, said Prof. Zou.

Hongjun Zhang, Board Chair of Energy Foundation China, and some of the foundation’s largest funders, including the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, expressed their appreciation for what Beijing has done for controlling air pollution and addressing climate change. They also hoped that Energy Foundation China could continue to be an enabling bridge between China and the U.S. and help share China’s stories to the world.

Also present at the meeting were Yang Bin, Vice Mayor of Beijing; Jin Wei, Secretary General of the Beijing Municipal Government; and Li Xiaohua, Deputy Director General of Beijing’s Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau.