Government Official
Dr. Chen Jining
Minister of Environmental Protection, People’s Republic of China
Dr. Chen was appointed Minister of Environmental Protection in January 2015 and has since heavily focused on reducing air pollution in China’s major cities. He focuses on applying an environmental system analysis and integrated assessment for environmental engineering and policies. Contact information available upon request.
Climate Program Advocate
Li Shuo
Senior Climate Policy Adviser for Greenpeace East Asia
Based in Beijing, Li Shuo oversees Greenpeace’s work on air pollution, water and renewable energy throughout East Asia. He has a significant role in coordinating the organization’s engagement with the UNFCCC and has extensive experience in Sino-US and E.U.- China climate relations. Contact information available upon request.
Climate Program Advocate
Deng Fei
Social Media Environmental Activist
Deng Fei has captivated China’s public environmental awareness through the social media site, Weibo. By launching discussions and projects such as China Water Safety Foundation, his followers have been given power and access to more environmental rights. Environmental activists like Deng Fei are critical in providing an effective voice for the public and influencing China’s government for greater environmental reforms and policies. Contact information available upon request.
Climate Program Advocate
Ma Jun
Investigative reporter, environmental activist and founder of the Institute for Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE)
Ma Jun’s 1999 book China’s Water Crisis has often been compared to Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, as it initiated the country’s first public ‘call to arms’ with regard to China’s growing environmental crisis. His non-profit environmental research organization, IPE, is dedicated to collecting, collating, and analyzing government and corporate environmental data to build a thorough database. The data is an important tool in environmental policymaking, corporate supply chain transformation, as well as promoting public transparency of environmental information. Ma Jun acts as a knowledgeable consultant and adviser for environmental governance mechanisms in China.
Contact: ipe@ipe.org.cn
Climate Program Opponent
Chairman Xiao Yaqing
State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC)
SASAC is responsible for managing China’s State-Owned Enterprises, including China First Heavy Industries, Shenhua Group (global leader in steel production), China National Petroleum Corporation, etc. The interests of SOEs pull the government in different directions and regularly delay ambitious reforms. The SOEs have great influence on decision-making in China and have been keen to ensure that major changes in policy are implemented slowly enough for their businesses to adjust. In China, it is difficult to have direct ‘climate deniers’ because of the visible and obvious pollution effects occurring throughout the country. See SASAC for contact information.