ZEW Researchers at the 2013 Beijing Humboldt Forum

At this year’s Beijing Humboldt Forum on November 20-22, ZEW economists presented recent research findings on the German energy transition in the capital city of China. The objective of the event with the title “Green Economy and Urbanization” was to strengthen the research cooperation between Germany and China in the area of green economy. The event was organised by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Beijing University of International Business and Economics (UIBE).

In his presentation at the beginning of the event, Dr. Georg Licht, head of the ZEW Research Department “Industrial Economics and International Management”, addressed the impact of eco-innovations on employment growth in Europe. On the second day of the event, Prof. Andreas Löschel, head of the ZEW Research Department "Environmental and Resource Economics, Environmental Management", gave a lecture on the transferability of the German energy transition to China.

A variety of presentations on sustainability and urbanisation

Some 100 participants from the fields of science and politics attended the conference that featured interesting lectures on a potential shift towards an ecologically sustainable society in times of rapid urbanisation and increasing energy consumption. Central points of discussion included ecological urban development and management, energy-friendly urban construction, improvement of energy efficiency as well as the development and promotion of cities with low emission rates. In the scientific sessions, ZEW researchers Dr. Sebastian Voigt and Sven Heim addressed the possibilities of a national emissions trading system in China and considered the suitability of various auction designs for electricity markets.

An interdisciplinary meeting

A key characteristic of the event was that it promoted interdisciplinary dialogue, which is urgently needed to determine and examine the entire scope of the future challenges of a green and sustainable civilisation. High-profile speakers from different disciplines presented various perspectives on the topics under discussion and considered a variety of approaches to meeting the challenges. In keeping with the objective of interdisciplinary and international networking at the Humboldt Forum, valuable contributions to the debate were made by economists, philologists, physicists, engineers and further academics.