Comparative Analysis of Energy Transformation Policy: China, Germany, EU and U.S.

On invitation of the Rock Environment and Energy Institute Susanne Langsdorf, Fellow at Ecologic Institute, took part in an "Energy Transformation Roundtable Discussion" in Beijing on November 3rd 2015. At the roundtable a group of international experts

• Mr. Ang Zhao, Rock Environment & Energy Institute
• Prof. Yuan Xu, Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Prof. Gang He, Stony Brook University
• Ms. Susanne Langsdorf, Ecologic Institute
• Prof. Mark Jacobson, Stanford University
• Prof. Kejun Jiang, Energy Research Institute, NDRC

presented and discussed different "roadmaps" to an energy transition. Susanne Langsdorf presented the energy transition ("Energiewende") in Germany.

China is today one of the biggest investors in renewable energy technologies and infrastructure. In recent years it has increased its efforts against climate change, limiting coal use and fostering non-fossil energy. However, while China has set targets for power industry investments in the 12th Five-Year plan, it has set only energy efficiency targets (gains per unit of GDP) and relative non-fossil fuel targets (as percentage of total energy use). In 2015 and especially in the run up to COP21 China has increased its ambitions further with setting higher targets for public transportation and green buildings and a "green dispatch" system to privilege renewable electricity, among other measures.

In the roundtable meeting the "roadmaps" to transform the energy systems in Germany, China and the US were compared and discussed, with the aim to spread knowledge and best practices.