Event at a glance
| Date | 14 October 2026 (Wednesday), 13:00–17:30 CEST |
|---|---|
| Venue | Germanwatch office, Stresemannstr. 72, 10963 Berlin, Germany |
| Hosts | Institute of Finance and Sustainability (IFS); Greenovation Hub; Germanwatch; Eco Vision Institut e.V. |
| Format | Invitation-only, in-person |
| Language | English |
Background
Climate change and nature loss are not two parallel agendas but two faces of one systemic crisis: land-use change and ecosystem degradation contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss while weakening society’s capacity to withstand climate impacts. As climate and biodiversity commitments enter a new implementation phase, strengthening synergies across energy, industry and finance is a shared task for China and Europe.
Against this background, the seminar focuses on climate governance and energy transition, and green finance for nature-positive cooperation. Participants from China and Europe (particularly Germany) will exchange on their research strengths, data resources, policy networks and cooperation needs, and discuss priorities for global environmental governance and climate-and-nature finance. The aim is to build institutional understanding, identify shared research topics, and explore feasible joint outputs and sustained cooperation.
Agenda
| Time (CEST) | Session | Speaker / Lead |
|---|---|---|
| 13:00–13:30 | Registration & Welcome Coffee | — |
| 13:30–13:40 | Opening Remarks | Germanwatch, IFS |
| 13:40–13:55 | Institutional Introductions & Group Photo | IFS, Greenovation Hub, Eco Vision |
| 13:55–15:15 | Session 1: Progress & Challenges in Climate Governance and Energy Transition (Europe, Germany, China) | Lead: Germanwatch (governance); Agora (energy transition); Gerd Leipold / Climate Transparency (transparency); open discussion |
| 15:15–15:30 | Tea Break | — |
| 15:30–16:50 | Session 2: Financing for Nature-Positive Transition & Cooperation | Lead: Greenovation Hub, IFS, TNC (Matthew Sielski), Climate & Company; open discussion |
| 16:50–17:20 | Structured Discussion: Outlook 2027 & Potential Collaboration | All participants |
| 17:20–17:30 | Closing Remarks | Hosts |
Session notes
Session 1 — Progress and Challenges in Climate Governance and Energy Transition (Europe, Germany and China)
Framing: move from comparing targets to comparing implementation pathways — accounting scope, coverage, policy instruments and political-economy constraints. Suggested speakers: Germanwatch (governance), Agora (energy transition), Gerd Leipold / Climate Transparency (NDC transparency). Guiding questions: How do China’s 2035 NDC and the EU 2040 target differ in accounting scope, coverage and implementation pathways? What practical cooperation space exists on carbon-price linkage and embedded-emissions accounting after CBAM enters formal levy? How do different systems define a “just transition”? Is there a trilateral entry point for Germany–China energy-transition cooperation in third countries?
Session 2 — Financing for Nature-Positive Transition & Cooperation
Framing: focus on how nature becomes identifiable, priced and financeable, and where Chinese–European standards and methods can converge. Suggested speakers: Greenovation Hub (biodiversity finance), IFS (natural capital), TNC / Matthew Sielski (agriculture–nature synergy, sustainable value chains), Climate & Company (corporate decarbonisation). Guiding questions: How can nature-related risk be turned into identifiable, priced risk? How do TNFD and LEAP differ in their China–Europe implementation paths? How can public and blended finance mobilise private capital for nature protection and restoration? Where are the scaling bottlenecks for biodiversity bonds and nature credits?
Registration & enquiries
This is an invitation-only, in-person seminar. For enquiries, please contact [email protected].