Joanna Lewis

I'm hiring! Come work with me as a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University on #energy #climate #China. Start date of fall 2026. See more details and apply here by January 12, 2026: apply.interfolio.com/178086

China releases first-ever national emissions reduction targets, signaling shift in approach to climate policy - The World from PRX At the UN Climate Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the country’s first national emissions reduction targets. It marks a shift in China’s approach to climate policy, which, until now, all...

I spoke on The World today about China’s new climate targets. theworld.org/segments/202...

Sounds like he just said the 7-10% was from the peak, which is slated to be "before 2030" based on the current NDC.

FULL TEXT: Unofficial transcript of remarks delivered by China's president Xi Jinping to the UN climate action summit, including the outlines of China's 2035 climate pledge

docs.google.com/docu...

It was just delivered by President Xi at the UN climate summit in New York by video english.news.cn/20250925/326...

Question - I think he said the target was based off a 2030 peak?

Adaptation has been neglected in past NDCs from China so it’s mention is also notable

The target goes beyond the high-level goal to give details about how they are likely to meet the goal including by increasing the use of non-fossil energy and EVs, plus expanding the national ETS to cover high-emissions sectors (such as industry)

We should not forget that this marks the first ever absolute, economy-wide GHG emissions target for China

-The signaling of “striving to do better” shows that this is a low-end goal for China, which as many like to say prefers to under promise and overdeliver on climate and energy goals.
-We should not forget that this marks the first ever absolute, economy-wide GHG emissions target for China

Quick thoughts:
-The Biden administration and others were pushing for a 30% reduction by 2035 so 7-10% is quite a bit more modest. That said, the 30% ask was unrealistic given current emissions trends in China, as well as political realities (including in the US).

-Scale up the total forest stock volume to over 24 billion cubic meters
-Make new energy vehicles the mainstream in the sale of new vehicles
-Expand the national ETS to cover major high emissions sectors
-Establish a climate-adaptive society

China NDC for 2035
-Net economy wide GHG emissions by 7-10% from peak levels
Increase share of non-fossil fuels in total energy consumption to over 30%
-Expand installed capacity of wind and solar power to over 6x the 2020 levels, striving to bring the total to 3600 GW

me too...

Climate Summit 2025 To accelerate momentum, the UN Secretary-General will host a Special High-Level Event on Climate Action on 24 September 2025, as a platform for leaders to present their new Nationally Determined Contr...

webtv.un.org/en/asset/k12...

What Will China’s Green-Tech Ambitions Cost the World?

Joanna Lewis, Sam Geall, Lauri Myllivirta, I and some others quoted in this Brook Larmer piece on China's global green-tech ambitions. This is part of the focus of my forthcoming book "Chinese Global Environmentalism," out later this year. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/m...

What Will China’s Green-Tech Ambitions Cost the World?

“There is a huge opportunity for China to play a much greater role in the low-carbon energy transition across the Global South... by helping these countries build their own green industries and to learn from China’s own green industrial policy model.”

Excited to be selected as a Lead Author for the #IPCC 7th Assessment Report Working Group III.

Paul Tobin, @stacydvandeveer.bsky.social and I are delighted to announce our new, open access, edited book ‘Stability and politicization in climate governance’. bit.ly/45Gb6RM. It is packed full of fantastic chapters about different aspects of climate politics. Here’s a short thread. 1/

How China’s Industrial Policy Really Works Rob and Jesse get into the nitty gritty on China’s energy policy with Joanna Lewis and John Paul Helveston.

China’s industrial policy has attracted a lot of faddish attention recently. But @jhelvy.bsky.social and @joannalewis.bsky.social have been studying for a decade-plus, long before it was clear it would work.

Was great to talk about how it’s been a fabulous failure: heatmap.news/podcast/shif...

On Shift Key podcast this week: How China’s Industrial Policy Really Works. Rob and Jesse get into the nitty gritty on China’s energy policy with Joanna Lewis and John Paul Helveston.

Today on SHIFT KEY: @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social & I talk with two experts, @joannalewis.bsky.social & @jhelvy.bsky.social, about how China's industrial policy really works—and what the US should learn from it. Hint: it's not tariffs! heatmap.news/podcast/shif... 🔌💡 🔌🚗

How China’s Industrial Policy Really Works Rob and Jesse get into the nitty gritty on China’s energy policy with Joanna Lewis and John Paul Helveston.

NEW SHIFT KEY

We get deep into the bowels of China’s industrial policy with @jhelvy.bsky.social and @joannalewis.bsky.social.

What tools have worked the best? Has China used tariffs? And — when this crisis passes — what can the US learn about how to nurture new tech?

heatmap.news/podcast/shif...

“Today in disguising your Tesla” – BYD - PoPville Thanks to M. for sending in another disguised Tesla: "If it were a real BYD, it would charge faster, cost less, have higher quality, and have much better features." Ed. Note: Had to google BYD, CNN re...

www.popville.com/2025/04/toda...

Joint statement between the people's Republic of China and the French Republic on climate change on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the paris agreement (27 March 2025) The People's Republic of China and the French Republic (hereinafter referred to as “the two sides”): Considering the urgency of responding to the (…)

www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-f...

Trump’s China investment curbs may fall short Decoding transatlantic relations with Beijing. By PHELIM KINE Send tips here | Tweet @PhelimKine | Bluesky @phelimkine.bsky.social | Subscribe for free | View in your browser Hi, China Watchers. &n…

Today's @politico.com China Watcher: Trump's China investment curbs - more bark than bite? China, global climate champion; Thailand bows to Beijing by refouling Uyghurs back to China; Taiwan-U.S. ties according to the KMT. Subscribe! www.politico.eu/newsletter/c...

China climate and environment scholars - consider applying to be part of the Penn Project on the Future of US-China Relations. I highly recommend the experience! Applications due 2/28. web.sas.upenn.edu/future-of-us...

Trump pulls US out of key global climate assessment, sources say The Trump administration has halted the participation of U.S. scientists in key U.N. climate change assessments, two sources familiar with the situation told Reuters, part of its broader withdrawal from climate change mitigation efforts and multilateral cooperation.

www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...

We are delighted to publish working papers by the Climate & Environment team of this year's fellowship cohort, available at global.upenn.edu/future-of-us.... And please join us for a live webinar featuring these authors tomorrow January 23 from 4-5 pm ET, registration link at the QR code below:

The New Administration. Unpacking the Rhetoric & Actions of Day One. Wednesday, January 22 | 4:00-5:00 pm. ICC Auditorium. SFS | Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. Image of the White House in the background with a blue tint.

Headshots of four SFS faculty members: Elizabeth Ferris, Marc Busch, Joanna Lewis, and Barbara Bodine.

Join SFS Dean Hellman and a panel of SFS faculty at 4 pm, tomorrow, in the ICC Auditorium to unpack Trump’s Day 1 speeches & executive orders on immigration, climate, trade & the State Dept. GU ID required.

What’s Next for US-China Climate Relations

🔊EVENT: What’s Next for US-China Climate Relations
🗓️Date: Jan.23rd, 2025
🕒Time: 10am – 11:15am ET
📍Location: 5th Floor, Woodrow Wilson Center
🎤Hosted by:
China Environment Forum
@newsecuritybeat.bsky.social
Kissinger Institute
📩RSVP: bit.ly/4fVlJTQ