China-U.S. Collaboration Launches Powerful New Simulation

For over two years Climate Interactive has been working with Tsinghua University in China to create a learning tool to model the climate goals of Chinese provinces. Because of our work with Tsinghua, they have been able to provide the Chinese government with a new easy-to-use tool in order to meet their climate and energy goals.

China has committed to a 40-45% decrease in the carbon intensity of the overall Chinese economy by 2020. In order to meet this goal the Chinese government and provincial leaders set targets for the provinces to adjust their GDP, energy intensity, and fuel mix. To create true engagement from the leaders at all levels, however, there needed to be a shared understanding of how to reach these goals, and methods for calculating progress.

In order to create a tool to track the progress of the Chinese provinces, a team led by Professor Zhang Xiliang at Tsinghua University began using system dynamics models, the technology of which grew out of MIT Sloan School of Management and is behind C-ROADS. The system dynamics models are a contrast from the spreadsheet models that were used to set the targets, which are not geared towards flexible “what if” testing. What they sought was a user-friendly, interactive simulation such as C-ROADS, which has been used by multiple governments as part of the UN climate change negotiations. Professor Zhang’s Low Carbon Economy team had the data, an understanding of the Chinese energy system, and a staff of modelers to create the tool, but their partnership with the Climate Interactive team enabled them to put these elements together to create a successful model.

Climate Interactive Heads to China

I’m excited to be leaving tomorrow to Beijing to work with our dear colleagues at Tsinghua University. They have asked for the C-ROADS simulation to be presented to a group of provincial leaders who are working to reduce the country’s carbon intensity 45% over the coming years. And we’ll collaborate on adapting the model for their own use.

The picture here shows many of us in Beijing during our last visit.

Good people, good goals, hoping to create a good future.

Professor He Jiankun of Tsinghua University (China) Loved the C-ROADS Climate Pathways iPhone and iPad App!

Our colleague in China, Professor He Jiankun, whose team is adapting C-ROADS to help with mitigation efforts in China, demo’ed and seemed to love our (beta version) iPhone and iPad app. In the photo he’s trying it at the UNFCCC negotiations here in Cancun.

Wants a Chinese version focusing on how to reduce emissions.

Washington University Blog Covers Climate Interactive

Climate Interactive and C-ROADS have recently been featured in a blog post by Adam Hasz of the Washington University Students for International Collaboration on the Environment (WUSICE). The post discusses our C-ROADS model and resources, in relation to their “U.S.-China Student International Conference on Climate Change and Sustainability”. Of particular relevance is our C-ROADS documentation in Chinese, which was developed to support our partnership with Tsinghua University. Check out WUSICE’s post below or view the original here.

 

C-ROADS: An Interactive Model for Climate Negotiators

Hi everyone.  My name is Adam Hasz, and I am a third year student at Washington University.  I am studying environmental studies and urban studies, and am particularly interested in sustainable development and ways in which we can collectively work towards stabilizing our planet’s climate.  I have been very active with Green Action, the environmental activist group on my campus, and have helped to coordinate several demonstrations against coal companies and other dirty energy corporations.  In addition, I have been involved with 1Sky, the Energy Action Coalition, the Missouri Student Environmental Coalition, and the Sierra Student Coalition.

Chinese Version of C-ROADS Climate Simulation in Development

We’re excited to be working with Chinese colleagues to develop a version of the C-ROADS simulation in Chinese and calibrating it to match the dynamics of China.

A partnership with Tsinghua University as part of the MIT-Tsinghua-Cambridge Collaboration, along with support from a team of partners like Peter Senge, Rockefeller Brothers Fund and others, has helped make it happen.

For non-speakers of the language, those graphs and sliders represent GDP, energy intensity, carbon intensity, fuel mix, CO2 emissions, and other factors.

We feel honored to be part of a shared effort between the US and China to address climate change.

More screenshots of the interface are below.