US-China Environment and Sustainability Forum at the University of Michigan
UCESF@UM
October 1-2, 2019
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
http://ucesf2019.seas.umich.edu
Developing sustainable societies is a major challenge for the 21st century. The US and China both play particularly important roles since these two countries are the world’s two largest economies, energy-consuming countries, and greenhouse gas emitters.
China has experienced rapid economic growth in the past decades, but also has a reputation for environmental pollution and unsustainable development. In recent years, China has made significant efforts to remedy for environmental sustainability. On the other hand, the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is at odds with the direction being taken by China. In any event, there are uncertainties to the environment and sustainability of not only the two countries but also the globe.
The goal of this Forum is to create an opportunity for leading experts from both the U.S. and China to share progresses, challenges, and prospects on environmental sustainability and find common interests to collaborate. One of the outcomes of the Forum is a white paper summarizing opinions and conclusions.
Attendance will be capped to promote an intimate experience for easy engagement in conversation. Please visit the website for more details on registration.
The Forum will have seven sessions on important topics in environment and sustainability. Each session will feature four speakers invited from both the U.S. and China. Each speaker will speak for 15 minutes, followed by a one-hour discussion facilitated by a facilitator. These topics include:
- Air Pollution and Quality
- Circular Economy
- Climate, Carbon and Energy
- Ecosystems
- Environmental Health
- Sustainable Development and Public Policy
- Water Systems
The Forum will also include a panel discussion on international collaboration on environment and sustainability education and poster sessions for participants including students from the University of Michigan to showcase research outcomes.
On October 3, a small group of invited speakers and facilitators will form a working group to synthesize the outcome of the Forum for developing the white paper.
