The green transition is now a core subject of international relations, and has grown into a very active pillar of bilateral relations between the EU and China.

The High Level Environment and Climate Dialogue (HECD) is the highest political format of bilateral engagement on these issues, covering broad fields, including climate, environment, energy and oceans, inter alia.

The most recent meeting of the HECD took place in Brussels on 18 June 2024, and was co-chaired by First Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on the Chinese side, and then Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič of the European Commission on the EU side, accompanied by Commissioner Hoekstra and then Commissioner Sinkevicius. On this occasion, both co-chairs stressed the consensus between the EU and China to further deepen and strengthen cooperation on green transition issues.

The Press Readout of the 5^th HECD is available here.

Based on the experience of the success of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), and later of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdictions (BBNJ), a previous EU co-chair of the HECD, then EVP Timmermans, once stated that  “when the EU and China are united, there is a chance of success; when they are not, there is a guarantee of failure”. 

Indeed, bilateral EU-China cooperation aims importantly at contributing to global governance, including in implementing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, inter alia.

The EU is also represented in the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), a high-level advisory body that submits policy recommendations to China’s State Council, with two representatives: Kurt Vandenberghe, Director-General for Climate Action, and former Director-General Jos Delbeke.

The EU also supports a variety of initiatives in China, such as the Global Covenant for Mayors (GCoM) and the EU-China Experimental Climate Course. The latter was launched under the FPI-funded “EU Policy and Outreach Partnership 2023 project” (EUPOP), and was developed in partnership with Chinese universities. The EU Delegation to China organised visits of Chinese experts to EU institutions, has launched a call for interest to establish cooperation between EU and Chinese green think-tanks, among other people-to-people exchanges.

Protection of the environment is a key pillar of the EU Green Deal, but also a shared concern for the EU and the People’s Republic of China.

Cooperation between the EU and China has been going on for many years, creating trust and close relations. A large number of programmes are feeding this bilateral cooperation, allowing exchange of views and experience between experts on both sides.

The Environment Policy Dialogue (EPD) has been held at ministerial level since 2003. On 25 September 2023, Commissioner Sinkevicius co-chaired the 9^th EU-China Environment Policy Dialogue with his counterpart Minister Huang Runqiu of China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment

Biodiversity

Both sides acknowledge that close EU-China cooperation was instrumental to deliver the global agreement on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). At the 9^th EPD which was held on 25 September 2023, the EU and China agreed to cooperate to keep the political momentum to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework. Both sides discussed ways to enhance exchanges of best practices on protecting and restoring biodiversity on the ground in the EU and China.

Circular economy

Circular Economy remains an important political priority both in the EU and in China. The New Circular Economy Action Plan issued by the Commission in March 2020 and the 14^th Five Year Plan for the Development of Circular Economy issued by NDRC in July 2021 provided new guidance on concrete cooperation between EU and China on Circular Economy.

On 26 September 2023, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius co-chaired the first EU-China High Level Policy Dialogue on Circular Economy with a counterpart of China’s National Development and Reform Commission. An agreement was reached to extend a 2018 Memorandum of Understanding and develop jointly a cooperation roadmap on circular economy.

More details: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/china/european-commissioner-sinkevi%C4%8Dius-co-chairs-1st-eu-china-high-level-policy-dialogue-circular-economy_en?s=166

Plastic pollution

Beyond already existing bilateral cooperation and projects, the EU and China have agreed to increase exchanges as an internationally legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution is being negotiated.

Deforestation

The EU and China have been cooperating in the framework of the Bilateral Cooperation Mechanism (BCM) on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance and Trade (FLEGT), with the Chinese State Forestry Administration, to tackle illegal logging and associated trade through domestic measures (information, legal frameworks and policies) and through joint work with other countries, including in Southeast Asia and Africa, to stem the trade in illegally logged timber.

With the adoption of the EU Deforestation Regulation, the EU intends to intensify and broaden its exchanges with China beyond illegal logging. More information on this regulation: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/forests/deforestation/regulation-deforestation-free-products_en

Wildlife protection

Both sides agreed at the July 2023 HECD to further enhance bilateral cooperation to protect wildlife.

Through technical projects and ahead of COPs, the EU also engages with the National Forestry and Grassland Administration on wildlife protection and implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Water

As a reinforcement of cooperation between the EU and China on water resources, both sides agreed to upgrade the level of cooperation to a ministerial level dialogue in 2017. On 2 April 2019, EU Commissioner Mr. Karmenu Vella and Mr. E Jingping, Minister of Ministry of Water Resources of China co-hosted the first Meeting of the EU-China Water Policy Dialogue.

On 25 September 2023, Commissioner Sinkevicius co-chaired in Beijing the 2^nd EU-China Water Policy Dialogue with Minister for Water Resources Li Guoying.

Besides this high-level dialogue, the EU plays a crucial role in supporting the China-Europe Water Platform (CEWP) established in 2012 to encourage an integrated approach to water management in China. The CEWP is a partnership between the EU, EU Member States and China represented by the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources. CEWP is supported by the EU and the People's Republic of China. It promotes policy dialogue on water sector reforms and encourages capacity-building, technical and business cooperation.

The EU and China successfully co-chaired an Interactive Dialogue on ‘Water for Sustainable Development’ at the UN 2023 Water Conference held in New York in March 2023.

The EU and China are key partners for global climate action and maintain a comprehensive bilateral cooperation on climate.

In 2005, the EU and China agreed to establish the Climate Change Partnership to provide a high-level framework for cooperation and dialogue on climate change policies, to exchange views on key issues in international climate change negotiations and to encourage low-carbon technology development and uptake. In the following years, both the 2018 leaders' statement on climate change and energy and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation on Emissions Trading Systems (ETS) reinforced the targets of that partnership. In the 1^st EU-China High Level Environment and Climate Dialogue in February 2021, both sides restated their commitment to work closely together, as well as to take leadership in pressing ahead of the international process and delivering the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Shortly after his nomination and ahead of COP 28, EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra visited Beijing on 15-16 November 2023 to meet his counterparts China’s Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu and China’s Special Envoy for Climate Change Xie Zhenhua.

The Readout of the meeting between EU Commissioner for Climate Change and China’s Special Envoy on Climate Change is available here. 

Emission Trading System (ETS)

The EU is sharing its experience of setting up its own ETS and encouraging China to strengthen its own carbon market as it is the most cost efficient tool to curb emissions. The cooperation was initiated in 2014 through an EU-funded programme to support Chinese efforts in setting up and running an efficient national ETS, and has been a key component of EU-China climate cooperation to date.

On June 18, 2024, an updated MoU on ETS cooperation was signed in Brussels by EU Commissioner Hoekstra and Minister Huang (Ministry of Ecology and Environment), on the side of the HECD. The new text broadened the scope of the ETS partnership, reflecting a deepened and cooperation between EU and China.

Methane

While the EU encourages China to join the Global Methane Pledge, the two sides have also agreed on a bilateral cooperation, which started in December 2022.

Climate adaptation

While both sides have done a series of technical exchanges on climate risks and adaptation, the EU and China have agreed to intensify policy and experience exchanges.

Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)

On 4 July 2023, then European Commission Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans and Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China Ding Xuexiang held the fourth EU-China High Level Dialogue on Environment and Climate (HECD) in Beijing. Both sides agreed to create a dialogue on the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).The CBAM Implementing Regulation was then adopted by the European Commission on 17 August 2023 (more information).

In a first visit to China since the creation of this dialogue, European Commission’s Director General for Taxation and Customs Union Gerassimos Thomas met China’s Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment Zhao Yingmin on 16 November 2023, accompanied by representatives of several Chinese ministries (National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Commerce, State Taxation Agency).

A large public event dedicated to the EU’s CBAM was held on 16 November to inform and listen to Chinese companies and other stakeholders. The recording is available here.

The EU and China are jointly responsible for one third of the world's final energy consumption, thus sharing common interests and goals for advancing the green energy transition, while  fostering energy security. This is where cooperation between the EU and China focuses. The energy transition is a prerequisite to successfully implement the Paris Agreement and to provide citizens with clean, sustainable and affordable energy.

On 12 October 2023, European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson and Administrator Zhang Jianhua of China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) co-chaired the 11^th EU-China Energy Dialogue in Beijing. The two sides exchanged in-depth views on the energy transition, energy security, the development of renewable energy, electricity markets, green hydrogen and other topics, and listened to the work progress report of the EU-China Energy Cooperation Platform.

The EU-China Energy Dialogue was established in 1994 and strengthened in April 2019 at the 8^th Dialogue meeting, when the EU and China signed the Joint Statement on the Implementation of EU-China Energy Cooperation. Later in May 2019, the EU-China Energy Cooperation Platform (ECECP) was launched in Beijing.

The ECECP has been established as a practical tool to support and operationalise the Energy Dialogue and to deliver on the specific objectives of the EU-China bilateral energy cooperation, in line with the EU’s Energy Union, the Clean Energy for All Europeans initiative and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Over the past nearly five years, the Platform has provided a venue for numerous conferences and dialogues and generated comparative studies and reports. The Platform mobilizes a wide range of energy players in China and in the EU.

EU-China Energy Cooperation Platform (English): http://www.ececp.eu/en/

EU cooperation with China has a long history and is managed on the EU side by the European Commission Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE).

 It is structured around  three High Level Dialogues (HLDs), which take place, in principle, every year: the HLD on Ocean Affairs, theHLD on Fisheries and the HLD on Law of the Sea and Polar Affairs.

Blue Ocean Partnership

EU and China’s longstanding cooperation on ocean affairs led to the signature of the EU-China “Blue Partnership for the Oceans” in 2018, which remarks that two of the world’s largest ocean economies will work together to improve the international governance of the oceans in all its aspects, including by combating illegal fishing and promoting a sustainable blue economy.

On 23 September 2023, the 2^nd EU-China Blue Partnership Forum for the Ocean was held in Shenzhen.

“This Forum is a key part of our EU-China Blue Partnership for the Ocean. And it is an opportunity for the EU and China to bring together stakeholders from both sides, including the business sector, academia, think tanks and the NGOs.

What is more, it comes at the right time to share our knowledge and experience to increase our common understanding. And to reiterate our commitment to our ocean.”

 ——European Commissioner Sinkevičius

Link of the Speech: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/china/commissioner-environment-sinkevi%C4%8Dius%E2%80%98-opens-eu-china-blue-partnership-forum_en?s=166

Ocean Governance

The EU and China both recognise that the ocean is a common good and that ocean governance, including fisheries, is a shared challenge and responsibility that calls for closer international cooperation and global action.

Since 2010, the EU and China held six meetings of the High Level Dialogue on Ocean Governance to address challenges related to oceans. The latest dialogue took place in Shenzhen on 22 September 2023 and was co-chaired by the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius and China’s Minister of Natural Resources Wang Guanghua.

Fishery and IUU

Achieving sustainable fisheries and a sustainable development and use of oceans is a huge challenge worldwide. Both the EU and China are responsible as flag, port and market states, and as members of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, to fight Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. In order to enhance cooperation on fisheries, the European Commission and China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs established a High Level Dialogue on Fisheries. . The sixth meeting of the Dialoguetook place on 21 September 2023 in Shenzhen and was co-chaired by Ms. Charlina Vitcheva, the Director General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission and Mr. Liu Xinzhong, the Director General of the Fishery Bureau of China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs .

The High Level Dialogue is supported by the EU-China Working Group on Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, which ensures regular exchanges on what represents one of the biggest threats faced by oceans.

Law of the Sea and Polar Affairs

With the High Level Dialogue on Law of the Sea and Polar Affairs, the European Commission  and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs exchange on questions related to the Law of the sea and on polar affairs, which include protection of the high seas (e.g. BBNJ Treaty) or the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs).. The last meeting of the High Level Dialogue took place in Beijing on 26 September 2023.