EU Industry Days joint event: A Green Future in China? Implications for European Businesses

In the past few years, both the EU and China have set themselves relatively ambitious goals to address climate change – the EU through its Green Deal and associated policies and legislations, and China through its commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. These objectives are set to have a major impact on the EU and China’s respective industrial ecosystems. Given the fact that Chinese and European companies are important producers and exporters of environmental technologies, their experiences and perspectives are key to delivering environmental policies in practice. Many jobs will also depend on successful green transitions, both in Europe and China.

In the context of the EU Industry Days 2021, the EU Delegation to China, the European Chamber and the EU SME Centre are pleased to invite you to our upcoming event, ‘A Green Future in China? Implications for European Businesses’. In this meeting, senior institutional and industry representatives will discuss the environmental policy landscape in the EU and China as well as opportunities and challenges for European businesses in China. The event will take place on the 9th of March from 16:00 to 18:00 (Beijing time) both online and offline in the European Chamber Beijing offices.

If you are interested in joining, please feel free to contact Mr Zeyu Liu at intern008@europeanchamber.com.cn indicating whether you will join on or offline before 8th March COB.

Agenda

16:00-16:05: Opening remarks

– European Chamber Vice President, Charlotte Roule – EU Ambassador to China, H.E. Nicolas Chapuis

16:15-16:40: Expert Interventions

– The Green Future in China by Director Chai Qimin, National Centre for climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC)

– Key Trends on Green Development by Martin Raiser, Country Director for China and Mongolia at the World Bank

16:40-17:40: Panel discussion: China’s Environment and Energy Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities for European Businesses (Moderator: EU SME Centre Director, Renzo Isler), by:

– European Chamber Energy WG Chair, Guido Giacconi – European Chamber Energy WG Chair, Jet Chang

– ABB (China) Vice President, Winnie Dong – EDF Renewables Vice President of Operations, Jordi Torres

17:40-17:55: Discussion and Q&A

17:55-18:00: Closing remarks

– European Chamber Vice President, Charlotte Roule

Speakers and Panelists

Charlotte Roule

Charlotte Roule is Vice President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China and Chief Executive Officer of ENGIE CHINA. She joined ENGIE China back in 2016 initially as COO, Head of Business Development and Innovation. In line with ENGIE’s strategy and values, she promoted and developed there clean energy (mainly solar and electrical mobility) as well as energy efficiency. ENGIE China now operates directly 6 joint ventures in these areas, covering design and engineering, development and operations.

Before working in China, Mrs. Roule was based in Cheshire, UK, where, jointly with her team, she’s been developing the largest onshore underground gas storage of the country. Prior to this, she served as VP, Audit and Risks and VP, HR in Storengy, ENGIE’s affiliate dedicated to underground gas storage, based near Paris. Mrs. Roule is a member of the Jinan Mayor’s International Economic Consultation Committee. She acts as mentor of the Board of the Women in Renewables Asia (WiRA) organization, and she is also external trade advisor to the French Government.

Nicolas Chapuis

H.E. Nicolas Chapuis has served as the Ambassador of the European Union to China since 2018. He began his career in the 1980s as the Press Attaché at the Embassy of France in Beijing. In 1983, he was appointed Second Secretary (Political Affairs) at the Embassy of France in Beijing and then Desk Officer for China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mongolia at the Asia-Oceania Department of France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Between 1987 and 1988, he was a CFIA Fellow at Harvard University. In 1988 and 1989, he held the position of Desk Officer for NATO & European Security at the Political Affairs Department of France’s MFA. From 1989 to 1992, he was the Cultural Counsellor at the Embassy of France in Beijing.

Mr. Chapuis’s diplomatic career continued in the role of Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of France in Singapore. Following this, he held the position of Personal Assistant to the Deputy General Secretary for European and Economic Affairs at the MFA before becoming the Deputy Director (East Asia) of the Asia-Oceania Department of the MFA from 1995 to 1998.

In 1998, returned to China as the Consul General in Shanghai. Between 2002 and 2003, he was First Counsellor (Cultural Affairs) at the Embassy of France in the United Kingdom and the Director of Institut français du Royaume-Uni. From 2003 until 2005 Mr. Chapuis served as Ambassador of France in Mongolia and in 2005–2009 he was Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of France in Beijing. In 2009–2010, served as Prefect of the Département Hautes-Alpes. Following this, held the position of Chief Coordinator of the MFA WikiLeaks Taskforce until 2011. Mr. Chapuis served as the Ambassador of France to Canada from 2015 to 2018.

Chai Qimin

Dr. Chai Qimin now is the director for strategy and planning in National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC), Ministry of Ecology and Environment, deputy director of Research Center for Green Finance and Sustainable Development in University of International Business and Economics, and guesting professor of Research Center for Contemporary Management in Tsinghua University and Guizhou Institute of Technology. His professional activities and publications focus on global climate governance, new energy policy, green finance and investment, sustainable infrastructure, climate change economics and integrated assessment.

He currently serves as the delegate of Chinese Delegation to UN Climate Negotiations, the advisor for government and market on green development, and he was deeply involved in drafting the national medium and long-term strategy of energy and climate change, Five-year Planning and Working Program, Green Belt and Road Initiative, carbon emissions trading, green finance policy and guidance.

He was engaged as the leader or chief scientist of over 60 national and provincial research projects, and have won the Excellent Research Achievement Awards of National Development and Reform Commission, National Energy Administration, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, etc.

Martin Raiser

Martin Raiser is the World Bank’s Country Director for China and Mongolia, and Director for Korea since March 1st, 2019. Mr. Raiser is leading a team that is managing one of the World Bank’s largest loan portfolios and directs an extensive analytical and advisory program with China and Mongolia, and a growing knowledge partnership with Korea. Mr. Raiser holds a doctorate degree in Economics (summa cum laude) from the University of Kiel, Germany, and degrees in Economics and Economic History from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. Mr. Raiser worked for the Kiel Institute of World Economics and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, where he was Director of Country Strategy and Editor of the Transition Report. Since joining the World Bank in 2003, Mr. Raiser held positions as the Country Manager in Uzbekistan, Country Director for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, Country Director for Turkey, and most recently Country Director for Brazil.

Guido Giacconi

Ing. Guido D. Giacconi is co-founder and currently President of In3act Srl, an Italian business strategy consulting and advisory company with operations in China since 2006, focused on Regions Business and Economy Planning Energy and Environmental Protection, , Automotive, Consumer Goods, Chemical, Retail.

He is also CEO of In3act Global – a Group holding with interests in consulting and investments – CEO of GDG&C Srl, a business consulting company specialized in SMEs, active in Europe and China.

Ing. Giacconi is the National Chair of European Union Chamber of Commerce in China Energy WG, Vice Chairman of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, former Chair of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce Energy and Environment Protection Working Committee, consultant to the Embassy of Italy in China and Italian Trade Agency. In 2017 Ing. Giacconi has developed and issued an advanced study of the Made in China 2025 Chinese Government program and released to Italian Institutions for designing and setting up the most proper sino-italian cooperation. Ing. Giacconi is an Associate Professional at Scuola Sant’Anna di Pisa, Member of Experts Committee and professor at Global Management China Master and lecturer in many Universities in Europe and China including Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Ing. Giacconi has covered positions as senior partner of prominent business strategy firms such as Bain Company, KPMG, Booz Allen and Hamilton, Roland Berger with assignments in many countries in Europe and USA. Ing. Giacconi started his career in Procter & Gamble where he worked for about a decade and achieved the responsibility of VP EMEA for several product categories in USA and Europe. Ing. Giacconi has got a degree in Electronic and Bioengineering at Bologna University.

Jet Chang

Jet Chang Vice President for Circular Economy Business Development at TOMRA Group, and National Chair of the Environment Working Group at the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. Before joining TOMRA, he worked for a number of international and domestic companies in the environment industry such as Haldor Topsoe China, Poten Environment and Derun Environment. Jet also served as senior commercial officer at the Embassy of Denmark in China for 7 years.

Jet holds master of science degrees from the Northwestern Polytechnic University and Nanyang Technological University, respectively.

Winnie Dong

Winnie Dong is Vice President of ABB (China) Limited, Head of Government Relations. She joined ABB on June 1st 2011.

Prior to joining ABB, Winnie worked for Energy Sector, Siemens Ltd., China since 1999, where she held various management positions, including Senior Manager for Government Affairs, General Manager for External Communication and Corporate Account Manager to State Grid Corporation of China.

Winnie holds a Bachelor degree in High Polymer Chemical Field from Hefei University of Technology.

Jordi Torres

Jordi Torres has been working for EDF Renewables since 2012 in different international assignments in Portugal, France, UK and now in China as Vice President of Operations. Prior to that, he worked for some international companies as Hewlett Packard, Lear Automotive or Vestas Wind Systems. In Vestas, he worked close to 6 years, where he led the sales and business performance of the Service business for the largest business unit in Vestas (Mediterranean). In EDF, he started selling an affiliate company (REETEC Portugal), moving after to deploy EDF EN Services strategy on North Europe (in particular Poland and Belgium). In March 2013 he joined the EDF RE UK team to kick off the operations business. In 2020, UK operations included more than 600MW onshore and offshore wind in 25 different assets.

Jordi has an Engineering PhD and an Executive MBA from IESE Business School.