In the forty years since Deng Xiaoping launched the ‘reform and opening’ policy, China’s economy has exploded and is now the second largest in the world. This incredible growth has lifted 800 million people out of poverty, but it has not been achieved without social and environmental costs. Inequalities between rural and urban residents are widening, industrial development, ever-increasing demands on the energy supply and booming car ownership have created chronic air quality problems and there is massive environmental destruction and pollution of waterways.

In this series, CCT and Welthethos Institut bring to Tübingen NGOs and other experts in green technology and sustainable development who are working on the ground to address some of China’s most serious environmental problems. Tackling issues ranging from reforestation to sustainable farming, transport emissions and recycling, they discuss their day-to-day work, their goals and strategies, as well as the obstacles they face and what they have accomplished towards overcoming what may be China’s greatest challenge in the twenty-first century.

14.11. 2019 Sustainable Agriculture and Social Entrepreneurship  (LUO Yi, Laotu)

19.11.2019 Ecological Entrepreneurship (DIAO Sitong, Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology)

28.11.2019 Environmental Shipping (ZHANG Qiang, Shanghai International Shipping Institute)

10.12.2019 Sustainable Waste Management (Arvea MARIENI, GcM Consulting)

06.07.2020 Protecting and Restoring Forests (Julia CHRISTIAN, Fern)