German – Chinese Climate Partnership

In its nationally determined contribution (NDC) to climate protection, China aims to reach the peak of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 at the latest and to increase its share of non-fossil energy sources in primary energy consumption to 20%. Cities account for 70% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. In particular the rapidly growing urban population confronts China with immense challenges. While 54% of the Chinese population is living in cities today, this is set to rise to 70% by 2030. China therefore sees an urgent need to implement climate protection measures in cities and to promote urban energy system transformation. Many Chinese cities are keen to transition away from polluting fossil fuels and towards clean and sustainable energy sources. As a stepping stone towards achieving this goal, a need for capacity building of municipal governments in integrated, strategic planning and implementation of green energy systems has been identified.