S2-EP 017 . How to Update the International Climate and Energy Cooperation Strategy Based on China’s Experience: A Conversation with Joanna Lewis

Energy Current: In Search of Net Zero System

U.S. – China climate cooperation is a crucial issue when we talk about tackling climate crisis. However, the bilateral relationship has been declining in the recent years, particularly since 2020. Under such a difficult situation, where will the U.S.-China climate and clean energy collaboration go? What lessons can the past cooperation experience imply? The G7 Summit in Japan last week may suggest that the 7 most developed economies are coordinating their industrial policies to pursue a more effective decarbonization pathway. By distancing China, this move could make the climate and energy cooperation between G7 member states and China more challenging. In this episode, Dr. Joanna Lewis, an expert on China clean energy policy and U.S. China climate and energy cooperation from Georgetown University shares her points of view on the related issues based on her new studies. China has gradually become a global leader in renewable energy and electric vehicle development since China initiated the renewable energy growth in about two decades ago. Because of manufacturing scale, investment capacity and enduring clean energy cooperation with U.S., Denmark and others, Dr. Lewis argues, China has the potential to support the acceleration of worldwide decarbonization, particularly in the countries of Global South. However, the complicated domestic economic and social situations and deteriorating international relations require the leaders from China, America and other major economies to seek a new strategy such as competitive cooperation to address climate crisis in a tightening time frame. Whether this optimistic scenario on climate and clean energy cooperation may succeed remains to be seen.

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