Host Sam Colombie speaks with the current YCW London Mentorship team, Dr. Shengke Zhi and Samuel Wejchert, to expand upon their YCW blog post on China’s leadership in global carbon innovation. They touch on cooperation between China and the European Union on carbon, as well as China’s commitment to innovation in low carbon emissions technologies. They also talk about the market distinctions between the U.K. and China and how those differences affect carbon partnerships between the two nations, presenting both opportunities and challenges.
Samuel and Shengke discuss changes in China’s climate policy in recent years and how the concept of “ecological civilization” impacts business. In the wake of COVID-19, they talk about China’s plans to rebuild its economy and how recovery plans might expedite or derail low-carbon energy developments.
As Samuel concludes, “We’re facing a short-term crisis in the form of the coronavirus pandemic, but we shouldn’t forget that we’re in the midst of another, arguably, larger and more severe crisis.”
Samuel Wejchert graduated from the University of Oxford with a BA in Chinese Studies in 2019. He is currently pursuing a Graduate Diploma in Economics at SOAS University of London. His research interests focus on the international political economy of East Asia.
Dr Shengke Zhi is Director of Strategy and Development at Wood, a multinational energy services company on the FTSE 250. Shengke is also a board member of the China-Britain Business Council and a guest lecturer at Tsinghua University. He obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manchester in 2008.
The YCW Podcast is a monthly podcast series by Young China Watchers. We’re a global community of young professionals, providing a platform to discuss the most pressing issues emerging from China today. We organize events with China experts in our 10 chapters across Asia, Europe and the U.S., fostering the next generation of China thought leaders.
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Produced by Sam Colombie, with support from Johanna Costigan, Joshua Cartwright and Joyce Lee. Music: ‘We Build With Rubber Bands’, ‘Dirty Wallpaper’ by Blue Dot Sessions.
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