United States and China Establish Circular Economy Climate Action Working Group

Teams of experts from the United States and China have begun meeting to discuss ways they can collaborate on circular economy activities that address climate change. The dialogue began in Beijing on August 21, 2024 under the direction of the US-China Climate Action Task Force.

Zhao Chenxin, vice director of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, stressed the importance of developing circular economy activities to tackle the effects of climate change. 

The initial focus is on plastics, construction materials and remanufacturing. Expert teams from both countries are identifying joint actions that will yield the greatest environmental and economic benefits. They are to deliver a set of recommendations in October.

The founder of the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development (US BCSD), Andrew Mangan, was asked by the US State Department to join as an expert on remanufacturing. US BCSD colleagues Rui He and Lily Stanton were also invited to participate in the effort. Mr. Mangan was selected to participate due to his experience establishing the Materials Marketplace, a cloud-based platform that facilitates material reuse among businesses, government agencies, universities and other organizations. 

The US-China circular economy initiative is an outgrowth of the Sunnylands Statement made by President Xi Jinping and President Joseph R. Biden in Bali, Indonesia in November 2023 in which they reaffirmed their commitment to work jointly to address the climate crisis.

About the US BCSD 

The US BCSD is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit business association that harnesses the power of collaborative projects, platforms and partnerships to develop, deploy and scale solutions to ecosystems, energy, materials carbon, and water challenges. For more information visit http://usbcsd.org/

Contact
Claude Griffin
Executive Director 
US Business Council for Sustainable Development
griffin@usbcsd.org