Harvard Project on Climate Agreements Hosts Chinese Climate Change Study Tour

The Harvard Project on Climate Agreements hosted, on January 10, 2012, a study tour of Chinese officials working in climate and energy policy. The tour was organized by the World Resources Institute (WRI)'s China office. The Chinese delegation was led by Mr. SU Wei, the Director General of the Department of Climate Change in China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and China's chief negotiator in the multilateral climate negotiations, under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Other NDRC participants included Ms. HUANG Wenhang, Director of the Division of International Cooperation in the Department of Climate Change. A number of Chinese provincial officials dealing with climate and energy, WRI staff, and other NDRC officials also participated.

The study tour included Dr. ZOU Ji, until very recently director of WRI's China office and an environmental economist on the faculty of Renmin University of China. Dr. Zou is becoming Deputy Director of the newly-formed National Center for Climate Strategy Study and International Cooperation in China, which is affiliated with the NDRC. Dr. Zou is also Co-Coordinating Lead Author, with the Harvard Project's Director, Robert Stavins, of a chapter in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report, "International Cooperation: Agreements and Instruments."

The study tour and several members of the Harvard faculty discussed options and prospects for international policy to address global climate change. Professor Stavins and Director HUANG each gave presentations to generate discussion. Both presentations may be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

Harvard faculty participating, in addition to Professor Stavins—all experts variously in environmental and energy economics, policy, and science—were Jeffrey Frankel, James W. Harpel Professor of Capital Formation and Growth (Harvard Kennedy School); Rebecca Henderson, John and Natty McArthur University Professor (Harvard Business School); William Hogan, Raymond Plank Professor of Global Energy Policy (Harvard Kennedy School); Richard Lazarus, Howard and Katherine Aibel Professor of Law (Harvard Law School); Erich Muehlegger, Assistant Professor of Public Policy (Harvard Kennedy School); and Daniel Schrag, Sturgis Hooper Professor of Geology and Director of the Harvard University Center for the Environment (Faculty of Arts and Sciences).

INFORMATION ABOUT ACCOMPANYING PHOTO:

Credit: LI Zhenjun, Qingdao Municipal Development Reform Commission

Caption: (L to R) Tan Xiaomei, Deputy Country Director, World Resources Institute China Office; ZOU Ji, Deputy Director, (China) National Center for Climate Strategy Study and International Cooperation; SU Wei, Director General, Department of Climate Change, (China) National Development and Reform Commission; Robert Stavins, Albert Pratt Professor of Businesss and Government, Harvard Kennedy School; Robert Stowe, Manager, Harvard Project on Climate Agreements; Richard Lazarus, Howard and Katherine Aibel Professor of Law, Harvard Law School.