Concept

The EU and China play a vital role in achieving global climate neutrality due to their large greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, economic power, influence on international trade, and strong competitive position in low-carbon technology industries. Yet, both regions face tremendous challenges in how to achieve their climate targets. Although technological breakthrough solutions and deployment strategies are on the rise, large emitters such as energy-intensive industries (EII) like steel and chemicals, are often still considered hard to abate and simultaneously, critical economic growth engines. While various technology options exist for decarbonising EIIs, they are usually under-represented in the integrated assessment models (IAMs) used to explore decarbonisation pathways. Additionally, datasets of previous emissions often contain considerable inconsistencies and uncertainties, creating obstacles to designing effective mitigation policies.

The overarching objective of EU-CHINA BRIDGE is to support the transition to a climate-neutral and resilient society in Europe and China by jointly advancing knowledge on technology innovations and roadmaps for decarbonising EIIs, co-developing innovative modelling (combining cutting-edge bottom-up and IAM modelling) to derive net-zero sustainable pathways, and developing the most updated and comprehensive emissions data by the EU and Chinese experts. It will intensively engage relevant stakeholders from both regions, enhancing dialogues and fostering mutual learning among relevant stakeholders and experts.