Emerging Issues in Climate Investment and Finance in China | Dr Xi Liang

As part of our keynote series Dr Xi Liang delivered a lecture providing the latest overview of climate investment and finance development in China, including policy, regional pilot and financial instruments.

On 28 January Dr Xi Liang delivered the first lecture for 2021 of our keynote lecture series 'Emerging Issues in Climate Investment and Finance in China'.

Thank you to everyone who took part. If you were not able to attend, a recording of the event is available to watch. 

Summary of the lecture

Climate change is the major challenge facing mankind in the 21st century. Over the past 15 years, the Chinese government has adopted a series of industrial policies, fiscal and tax policies to tackle climate change, making remarkable achievements. By 2018, the Chinese government was ahead of schedule in delivering its international commitment to cut carbon intensity by 40-45% from 2005 levels by 2020. However, to achieve the medium - and long-term climate change targets of peaking emissions before 2030 and carbon neutral by 2060 through industrial policies,  fiscal and tax policies alone, remains challenging. To truly achieve that goal, it is necessary to fully mobilise the enthusiasm of investors and financial institutions to meet the demand for climate investment and realise efficient use of national and international climate funds.

The lecture presented several emerging issues demanding further research in climate investment and finance, including additionality, standard development and climate transition risk management.

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About the speaker

Dr Xi Liang, Senior Lecturer in Energy Finance and Co-Director (Research) at the Centre for Business and Climate Change at the University of Edinburgh. Xi is also a Standing Committee Member for China’s Climate Investment and Finance Association (CIFA) and Deputy Director for China’s CCUS Committee, within Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences. Xi recently was the lead expert for Asian Development Bank’s Municipal Climate Finance Project in China. He is also the core advisory member in drafting China's Climate Investment and Finance policy document and in developing regional pilots. Dr Liang also a key project member for various of climate finance projects in China, including standard development, policy formulation and municipal climate finance pilot and delivered training on climate finance for municipal government officials. 
 
Dr Liang has been appointed as the International Lead of the Asian Development Bank’s CCS Centre of Excellence (Guangdong) project, PI of the World Bank Network Carbon Market (China), and PI of multiple UK Foreign and Commonwealth Government Office (FCO) Strategic Programme Fund projects. Xi has published more than 40 academic papers and 20 reports related to CCUS, climate investment and finance and regional emission accounting and 3 patents related to CCUS. Dr Liang has been leading on a total of GBP 4.3 million in climate change related research grants and leading the project development of the USD 20 million China Resources Power Haifeng carbon capture testing centre project as the phase one of Guangdong Offshore CCUS Project (GOCCUS).

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