Exchange on Energy Efficiency Deepened - 5th Meeting of the Sino-German Working Group on Energy Efficiency

In the meeting representatives of the National Development and Reform Commission of the P.R. China (NDRC) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) discussed the progress of the cooperation. Both sides agreed to deepen the exchange on energy efficiency and push forward the Sino-German demonstration project on energy efficiency in industry. Furthermore, it was agreed to officially launch the demonstration project on energy efficiency in cities in 2019 and deepen their cooperation on energy efficiency networks. German and Chinese government representatives expressed their wish to strengthen both countries’ economic ties in the energy efficiency sector and deepen the private sector’s involvement in the Sino-German Energy Partnership.

In the year of BMWi’s 100^th anniversary, both parties highly praised the past year’s collaboration and expressed their support for continuing their joint effort to move the Energiewende – the transition towards an eco-friendly and sustainable energy supply and demand system – forward.

In her opening speech, Ms. Ursula Borak, Deputy Director General of BMWi’s Energy Policy Department, stressed the importance of the bilateral energy partnership and elaborated on recent progress and achievements in Germany’s energy sector, especially the historic recommendation by the Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment (“Coal Commission”) to phase out coal powered energy generation in Germany by 2038 at the latest.

Mr. Ren Shuben, Director General of NDRC’s Department of Resource Conservation and Environmental Protection, expressed the Chinese side’s conviction to strengthen the bilateral collaboration. For the future cooperation, both BMWi and NDRC welcomed the proposed new cooperation areas to extend and deepen the current cooperation to a new level with more pragmatic collaboration, this includes jointly selecting Sino-German cooperation best practices, facilitating green finance related cooperation and enhancing the collaboration between energy service companies in both countries.

Apart from government officials more than 20 representatives from Chinese and German government agencies, research institutions, government-affiliated consulting groups and private companies participated in the meeting.

The ongoing exchange on energy efficiency policies, regulations and technological innovations between Germany and China is key for enhancing both countries’ energy transitions and facilitate fertile business environments in Germany and China. The next meeting of the Sino-German working group on energy efficiency is scheduled for spring 2020.