On April 1, CAFIU worked together with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) Beijing Office in hosting a Roundtable meeting on “Energy Transition and Sustainable Economic Policy”. Invited to attend the roundtable meeting were Prof. Franz-Josef Brüggemeier, renowned German sociologist and economist, Prof. Li Hengyuan, former Director-General of Department of Laws and Regulations in China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Prof. Zhai Kun of School of International Relations of Peking University, among others. CAFIU Deputy Secretary-General Zheng Yao and Director of FES Beijing Office Christoph Pohlmann co-chaired the meeting. The Chinese and German experts had full exchange on a number of questions such as the impact on environment caused by energy consumption, the development and usage of new energy, the potential for cooperation between the two countries on energy, environmental protection and sustainable development in the framework of the “Belt and Road”.

 

Energy transition and sustainable economic policy in German have been issues of much interest in the world. After the Fukushima Nuclear Accident happened in Japan in 2011, Germany made a decision of phasing out nuclear power, and put forward a magnificent goal of nuclear transition, according to which, Germany will basically abandon fossil energy by 2050. Renewable energy will replace coal-fired and nuclear energy in a large proportion and the CO2 emission will be reduced to 95% of that in 1990. In term of sustainable development, against the general background of economic recession in developed countries, the German model shows a stable growing economic trend.

 

In Prof. Brüggemeier’s presentation, he talked about the several energy transitions in the history of Germany, the current energy transition as well as German policies and practice in environmental protection and sustainable development. Prof. Li briefed on the unremitting efforts China has made in developing new energy and protecting environment since the reform and opening up as well as the challenges faced. Prof. Zhai made an analysis on the potential opportunities for cooperation that both countries could explore in the framework of the “Belt and Road”.

 

According to both Chinese and German participates, this meeting is of great help for broadening their vision and thinking.