In 2022, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, in partnership with the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University and the Beijing Green Finance Association, under the guidance of the Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy at Tsinghua University, established a Track II Dialogue on climate finance. At this dialogue, participants discuss opportunities for collaboration on financing projects to mitigate and adapt to global climate change.
The dialogue brings together experts from academia, think tanks, business, and industry in both the United States and China. The American delegation is led by David Sandalow, inaugural fellow of the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University (CGEP). The Chinese delegation is led by Ma Jun, president of the Beijing Green Finance Association (BGFA).
July 19 & 20, 2023
Virtual
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and the Beijing Green Finance Association, under the guidance of the Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy at Tsinghua University, convened the third Track II Dialogue on Climate Finance virtually on July 19 and 20, 2023. The dialogue examined various topics related to climate finance, such as climate-related financial disclosures, trade and carbon markets, green development in third countries, and climate finance issues likely to come up at COP28 in Dubai later in 2023. The dialogue participants wrote a white list of policy suggestions, the contents of which were communicated to high-level leaders in both countries.
2022 U.S.-China Track II Dialogue on Climate Finance
September 27 & 29, 2022
Virtual
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and the Beijing Green Finance Association, under the guidance of the Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy at Tsinghua University, convened the second Track II Dialogue on Climate Finance virtually on September 27 and 29, 2022, a time when official bilateral talks had been suspended by the Chinese government in response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in early August. The dialogue provided a platform for experts from both countries to exchange ideas. At a time of fraught relations, dialogue participants examined domestic climate initiatives within each country, U.S.-China cooperation in support of green development in third countries, climate-related financial disclosures, carbon markets, and carbon pricing. The two sides developed a joint report, which was distributed to both governments and is posted below.
January 24 & 25, 2022
Virtual
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and the Beijing Green Finance Association, under the guidance of the Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy at Tsinghua University, convened the first Track II Dialogue on Climate Finance virtually on January 24 and 25, 2022 EDT. The dialogue brought together experts from academia, think tanks, business, and industry in both countries for off-the-record discussions on opportunities for bilateral collaboration on financing projects to mitigate and adapt to global climate change.
Topics of discussion included prospects for harmonizing standards and U.S.-China enterprise cooperation in supporting green development in third countries, green finance and carbon market cooperation and development, environmental information disclosure, and low carbon financing standards.
September 2022 Joint Report (PDF)