UNDP Deputy Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Highlights Social Considerations as Key to Accelerate China’s Green Transition at 2026 CCICED Annual General Meeting

September 29, 2026

Blonde woman with glasses speaks at a conference panel, microphone in front. — UNDP Deputy Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific speaks at 2026 CCICED thematic forum

Beijing, 29 September 2026 — As China advances its green transition amid evolving economic, social and environmental pressures, ensuring that progress is both sustainable and inclusive is becoming an increasingly critical priority. This challenge was at the centre of discussions this week as UNDP Deputy Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Beate Trankmann attended the 2026 Annual General Meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED).

Established in 1992, CCICED is a high-level international advisory body that brings together Chinese and international experts and senior officials to conduct research and provide policy recommendations to the Chinese Government on environment and development.

Trankmann joined this year’s annual meeting as one of the CCICED High-Level Task Force Working Group co-leads. Speaking at the thematic forum China’s Path in the Global Green Transition Process: Innovation and Cooperation, she presented key insights of a thematic report on the future of China’s low-carbon, green transformation.

Trankmann recognized China’s significant progress in advancing its vision of Ecological Civilization, while emphasizing that the next phase of the green transition will require closer integration of environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and economic opportunity.

“Social considerations should be treated as a catalyst to the success of the green transition, rather than primarily as risks or costs,” she said, pointing to the close links between environmental change and issues including demographic shifts, employment, health and inequality.

Two panelists speak at a conference on a blue stage with microphones; ornate ceiling.

Conference panelists seated at a green table with blue nameplates.

Photograph of blonde woman with glasses speaking at conference panel, blue name plate in front.

Large conference hall with a panel on stage at a long table, blue backdrop and attentive audience.

The Working Group report sets out four pathways for advancing this agenda: strengthening just transition approaches; improving cross-sectoral planning and coordination; moving beyond GDP towards broader measures of wellbeing and sustainability strengthening incentives for long-term, inclusive, and sustainable development; and better integrating social, labour and environmental goals into China’s international engagement.

At the subsequent Policy Research Dialogue, Trankmann further stressed the importance of moving from vision to implementation. With China’s green transition entering a more complex stage, she highlighted the need for stronger policy integration and coherence, aligned financial incentives and clearer fiscal frameworks across different sectors and levels of government.

She also underscored the importance of the China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period as a critical window for accelerating progress, while reaffirming UNDP’s commitment to deepening cooperation with CCICED and China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment in the Council’s next phase.

Moving forward, UNDP will support efforts to translate evidence and policy recommendations into practical approaches that advance a comprehensive low-carbon and nature-positive development pathway, underpinned and accelerated by social dimensions.