In a recent virtual interview, Peggy Liu, Chairperson of JUCCCE (Joint US–China Collaboration for Clean Energy, a non-governmental organization working towards a future where both personal and planetary health thrive alike), shared her insights on the global impact of Chinese green transformation, and map out the main hurdles, both domestic and international, that China faces in its quest for a more sustainable economic and industrial model.
How green will the Chinese transformation be? Last year China announced that it will become carbon neutral in 2060, while its latest 5-year plan (2021-2025) includes numerous ambitious goals related to green technologies and industry. The country is clearly rapidly moving towards green transformation, and it is quickly becoming the global leader in solar and wind-powered technology, energy storage, and in the electric vehicle sector. However, there are many challenges on the way. Huge economic and technological transformations produce both winners and losers. The rising political tensions in the US-China relations pose a new threat to Chinese technological security and progress.
The meeting was hosted by Associate Professor Marcin Jacoby, Department of Asian Studies at SWPS University at SWPS University, and Zbigniew Niesiobędzki, Ph.D., President of the Polish-Chinese Business Council – a partner of the ChinaTalk series. Watch the entire interview below:
Peggy Liu is Chairperson of JUCCCE, a non-profit organization creating a livable China. As one of the leaders in China’s sustainability advocacy, her work encompasses ecolivable cities, clean energy, reimagining prosperity, and sustainable diets. Because of her useful contributions in the field, Peggy Liu has been given several accolades including:
- Time Magazine Hero of the Environment
- Foreign Policy’s shaper of US-China relations
- Forbes “Women to Watch in Asia”
- World Economic Forum Young Global Leader
- the Hillary Step for Climate Change Solutions
- China Business News Weekly (“China top 50 innovative business leaders”)
- Global Times (“Green Goddess”)
- L’Officiel (“China’s Most Successful Women”)
Prior to pursuing her passion for sustainability, Peggy was a venture capitalist in Shanghai, an ecommerce pioneer in Silicon Valley, a software marketing executive, a McKinsey consultant, and a computer programmer. She graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and completed public policy programs at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. Peggy is currently a professor at China Academy of Governance.
She was also an advisor to several companies like Marks & Spencer, FTSE, HP, World Economic Forum, and the Clinton Global Initiative, The Hillary Institute. She currently does advisory work for The EAT Forum, which focuses on how to feed people sustainably. She appears regularly in documentaries, news and events such as Discovery Channel, BBC, CNN, TED, WEF, Voice of America.
Peggy has recently been involved in promoting health eating habits in China for the young generation through “A New Way To Eat” program and the documentary “Cities Changing Diabetes”. Peggy Liu has also authored “A New Way to Eat” for United Nations Environment Programme magazine “Our Planet” and “Kids as Food Heroes: Piloting a New Way to Eat in China” for Huffington Post on Jun 3, 2015.
Contact us if you are interested in having Peggy Liu speak at your event.