Academics urge Government to forge China link
Academics and business leaders have called on the UK to establish strong links with China to become a leading low carbon technologies export force. Dr Samuel Fankhauser from the London School of Economics told the Energy and Climate Change Committee there were serious opportunities available with the East Asian superpower.
Professor Fankhauser, from the Grantham Institute at LSE, which specialises in climate change related research told the committee: “The sheer demand for goods and services means it’s very hard to ignore China.
“There is an appetite for learning by Chinese policymakers. We [at the Grantham institute] get approached by Chinese groups who want to be taught about low carbon opportunities.”
The Energy and Climate Change Committee recently visited China in order to establish connections involving future energy options.
Energy has taken a strong position in China’s plans. Felix Preston, a research fellow at Chatham House identified key target areas in their last economic plan: “The Chinese have seven emerging sectors identified in the twelfth five-year plan which includes electric vehicles, biotechnology and new advanced materials.”
