Who/What: At the Climate Summit for Local Leaders, co-hosted by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change Michael R. Bloomberg, the Paulson Institute is hosting a session titled Cities of the Future: Innovation and Sustainable Urbanization in China. China’s Special Representative on Climate Change Xie Zhenhua, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Michael Bloomberg, Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti, and nine leading Chinese mayors will speak. Paulson Institute Senior Fellow Deborah Lehr will moderate the session. The mayors will share their most creative ideas as well as the challenges they face in the process of unprecedented urbanization, including financing, addressing infrastructure challenges and deploying new technologies.
Why: China’s urban population is expected to hit 1 billion people by 2030, at the same time that the Chinese government has set ambitious targets for reducing carbon emissions. At the highest levels, China is integrating its economic and environmental strategies in order to grow the economy while promoting sustainability. China’s actions will have an impact on sustainable practices globally. Mayors are critical to accomplishing the goal of growing the economy while reducing emissions, and are developing innovative new approaches to promote low-carbon development.
Where: Hotel de Ville, Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, 75004 Paris, Tel: +33 1 42 76 40 40
When: 10:30am – 12:00pm, Friday, December 4, 2015
The Schedule:
- 10:30am Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, opening remarks
- 10:35am Minister Xie Zhenhua, China Special Representative on Climate Change
- 10:40am Panel One: Innovation in China’s Low Carbon Pilot Cities, moderated by Deborah Lehr, Senior Fellow, Paulson Institute
Panelists:
Mr. HONG Feng, Senior Advisor, Beijing Municipal Government
Mr. TANG Jie, Former Deputy Mayor of Shenzhen
Mr. WAN Yong, Mayor of Wuhan
Madame ZHU Xiaoming, Mayor of Zhenjiang
- 11:05am Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo remarks
- 11:20am Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti remarks about cooperation between Chinese and US mayors
- 11:30am Panel Two: Sustainable Urbanization in China – Overcoming the Challenges, moderated by Deborah Lehr, Senior Fellow, Paulson Institute
Panelists:
Mr. CHEN Shaorong, Deputy Mayor of Guiyang
Mr. YUAN Zhanting, Mayor of Lanzhou
Mr. LI Guanding, Deputy Mayor of Ningbo
Mr. HUANG Lan, Deputy Mayor of Nanjing
- 11:55am Q&A
- 12:00pm Conclusion
About the Paulson Institute: The Paulson Institute is a “think and do” tank that promotes environmental protection and sustainable development in the United States and China, while advancing bilateral economic relations and cross-border investment. Established in 2011 by Henry M. Paulson, Jr., the Institute is committed to the principle that today’s most pressing economic and environmental challenges can be solved only if the United States and China work in complementary ways.
The non-partisan, independent Institute works at the nexus of economic and environmental issues in the United States and China. Its programs in China focus on improving climate and air quality, advancing ecological conservation and promoting sustainable cities. The Institute’s Think Tank publishes papers on the most important macroeconomic issues facing China today, energy strategies and issues in US-China relations. The Institute promotes bilateral cross-border investment that will improve US-China relations and help create jobs and works to reduce economic risk from climate change. The Institute is headquartered at the University of Chicago and has offices in Washington and Beijing.
Media Contacts:
Dorinda Elliott
delliott@paulsoninstitute.org
Antonia Caamano
antonia.caamano@ogilvy.com
+1 201-927-6713
