U.S.-China Climate Action Collaboration: Opportunities and Challenges

Amid growing geopolitical tensions between the U.S and China, cooperation on fighting climate change has arguably been one of the few promising areas of collaboration. However, such efforts have not followed a linear path. At the United Nation’s Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, the U.S. and China made a joint declaration on enhancing climate action in the 2020s. Following Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August 2022, China announced it would suspend further climate talks with the U.S. But only a few months later, at COP27 in Egypt, both countries resumed direct bilateral climate talks.

One organization has been working at the intersection of U.S.-China conservation and climate change for over two decades and through the highs and lows of the bilateral relationship is The Nature Conservancy (TNC). For our webinar, two TNC professionals will outline what activities TNC has initiated to address climate change in the U.S. and China and explain their cross-border collaboration. Having attended both the recent COP 27 and COP 15 conferences, our two experts will share their experiences and takeaways from these important meetings.

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PANELISTS

DONG Ke, Director, China-Global Engagement, The Nature Conservancy Asia Pacific

DONG Ke leads the conservation efforts beyond China boarders at TNC. She provides technical support to TNC teams in China, Asia-Pacific region and the World Office in developing and implementing China international cooperation conservation strategies, including China responsible commodities footprint and China-US collaboration on nature-based solutions for climate. She has extensive working experience on forest resources management, governance and climate.

Before joining TNC, Ke worked for China’s State Forestry Administration, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Beijing. She received a Ph.D. in silviculture from Beijing Forestry University, and an MBA from Eastern Oregon University. This background has provided her a broad cross cultural and interdisciplinary knowledge and network related to sustainable development in China and globally.

GE Le, Climate Change & Energy Director, The Nature Conservancy China

GE Le is in charge of the Natural Climate Solutions (NCS), NbS Climate Change Adaptation, and Renewable Energy Siting projects in TNC China. The team is committed to unlocking the power of nature and promoting NbS to become one of China’s mainstream measures to tackle climate change.

Le’s past experience included serving as an assistant researcher at the Geography Department at Trent University, and a senior researcher of Qiaonv Foundation. Le holds a Master degree in Ecology and a PhD degree in Environmental and Life Sciences.

MODERATOR

Man Wang, Director, Washington State China Relations Council (WSCRC)

Prior to joining the WSCRC, Man founded People and Places, a consultancy providing research services on regional and community development, demographics, and business and cultural exchange opportunities between China and the U.S.

Man’s previous experience also included  serving as the Business Development Manager – China at the Washington State Department of Commerce, the editor of Seattle Luxury Living Magazine, and lecturer in the Master of Geographic Information System (GIS): Sustainability Management program at the University of Washington.

Man has coauthored articles on spatial disparities and community vitality in the Pacific Northwest and regional economic development in China and contributed book chapters on China’s urban and economic geography.

Man holds a M.A. in International Studies from East Carolina University; a M.A. in Geography from the State University of New York at Albany; and a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Washington.