About Us
Sino-German Environmental Partnership
Since 2013, the Sino-German Environmental Partnership project has supported bilateral environmental policy dialogue through the exchange of experience and advice on various specialist topics. Thereby, the project enhances institutional and individual capacities through training, the exchange of personnel, and knowledge transfer, to best prepare China for its future as a transformed “Ecological Civilization” and its path towards a “Beautiful China”.
The project is overseen by the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) of the People’s Republic of China. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) is responsible for implementing the Sino-German Environmental Partnership project, which is funded through the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of BMUV. In September 2017, the Sino-German Environmental Partnership project entered into its second phase, which will continue until 2021.
Through its activities, the Sino-German Environmental Partnership project supports its Chinese partners in transforming the existing environmental management system into a holistic environmental governance system which involves actors from science, industry and civil society. The planned activities lead to an intensification of the German-Chinese strategic environmental dialogue. An enhanced exchange such as this will continue to positively impact China’s proactive ownership of global environmental and climate change responsibilities. This will support the achievement of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda.
What we can do for you
Support Political dialogue
Political dialogue enables an environment policy exchange, it defines the strategic direction of the Sino-German Environmental Partnership and builds trust. We offer strategic environmental dialogue on a variety of topics – including improvement of air, water, and soil quality as well as biodiversity. We prepare and facilitate high-level meetings. We support the implementation of agreed activities.
Provide Political Counsel
We provide political consultancy services on strategically relevant topics, including continuous counseling as well as preparing studies, analyses, workshops, and training. We provide European and German best practices and lessons learned on how to strengthen the ecological and environmental administration system through institutional and policy reform.
Enhance Environmental Communication
Clear communication translates undertakings into understanding. We communicate about environmental policy through various channels – in China and Germany. We facilitate know-how and information exchange. We offer capacity building measures.
Partners
The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection
The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) is the German ministerial body in charge of commissioning the Sino-German Environmental Partnership. In 2010, the BMUV signed a declaration of intent regarding the Sino-German Environmental Partnership with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE). The BMUV is committed to the advancement and strengthening of international cooperation in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development. As such, it currently has several different projects under commission in China and other countries to fulfill this goal.
Ministry of Ecology and Environment
The Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China (MEE) is the leading Chinese governmental body responsible for developing and organizing the implementation of national policies and plans for environmental protection. The MEE takes charge of supervising and managing the prevention and control of environmental pollution, carries out environmental science and technology research, as well as the management system for pollution prevention and control of water, air, soil, light, odor, solid wastes, chemicals, and vehicle emissions. The MEE has cooperated with the BMUV on environmental issues since 2000 and since 2010, both have supported their strategic environmental dialogue within the framework of the Sino-German Environmental Partnership.
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
The federally owned Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a global service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work. GIZ operates in around 120 countries with approx. 22,200 staff members worldwide. We offer our partners in developing, emerging and industrialized countries tailor-made and effective solutions in all fields of sustainable economic development as well as environmental and climate protection. Since 2013 GIZ is commissioned by BMUV to implement the Sino-German Environmental Partnership. The Project team is located in Beijing.
Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center
Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center (FECO) is an institution affiliated to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China (MEE). It was founded in 1989 and is mandated to coordinate and manage the funds of projects in cooperation with international financial organizations and for implementation of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and bilateral assistances, as well as other foreign cooperation activities in the field of environmental protection.
China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development
Established in 1992, the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) is a high level non-profit international advisory body composed of high-level Chinese and international figures and well-known experts in the field of environment and development. The main tasks of the CCICED are: exchanging and disseminating international successful experience in the field of environment and development; studying key environment and development issues of China; providing forward-looking, strategic and early warning policy recommendations to State leaders and decision makers of all levels in China, facilitating the implementation of a sustainable development strategy and the development of a resource-saving and environmentally friendly society in China.
The Sino-German Environmental Partnership works with the CCICED to support the drafting of policy recommendations on specific climate, environment and development matters by drawing on German and international expertise. Former Environment Minister Dr. Barbara Hendricks held the position as Vice Chairperson of the CCICED from 2014 until 2016, underlining the appreciation of the Sino-German environmental cooperation. Currently, Prof. Dirk Messner, President of the German Federal Environment Agency, is a CCICED Council Member.
The German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation
The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) is a German higher federal authority providing professional, scientific and administrative expertise in nature conservation and landscape management. The BfN enforces nature conservation law, advises policymakers, publishes research findings and data on nature and the landscape, and supports and oversee nature conservation and research projects. BfN is one of four agencies under the auspices of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV). With a staff of around 430 and offices in Bonn, in Leipzig and on the Isle of Vilm near Rügen on the Baltic Sea coast, the BfN covers a range of policy areas surrounding biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource use.
The German Federal Environment Agency
The German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is Germany’s central environmental authority. It was established in Berlin in 1974 and has had its headquarters in Dessau since May 2005. The UBA is a partner and point of contact in Germany for a number of international institutions, for instance the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Environment Agency.
Our Team
Niels Thevs
Niels Thevs is the Project Director of the Environmental Partnership since March 2023. Within GIZ he was an advisor in t
Sun Shangchen
Sun Shangchen is the Junior Administrative & Finance Specialist of the Sino-German Environmental Partnership since 2
Jan-Hendrik Eisenbarth
Jan-Hendrik Eisenbarth serves as Advisor in the Sino-German Environmental Partnership Project (SGEP) since 2020. Jan has
Niels Thevs is the Project Director of the Environmental Partnership since March 2023. Within GIZ he was an advisor in the field of soil protection and sustainable land use from 2020-2023. Before that, 2014-2020, he was appointed at CIFOR-ICRAF in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to develop a research program on agroforestry systems for Central Asia. Before 2014, he worked as a researcher at University of Greifswald. There, he was responsible to develop and carry out research projects in the fields of sustainable land use, biodiversity protection, and water resources. He established partnerships with research institutions from China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Next to research, he was involved in teaching (GIS, remote sensing, and soil science). Dr. Thevs obtained his PhD in Landscape Ecology at University of Greifswald and a Diploma in Biology and Soil Sciences from University of Hamburg. Between the Diploma and the PhD course, he developed projects in the field of environmental education with various organizations from China.
Sun Shangchen is the Junior Administrative & Finance Specialist of the Sino-German Environmental Partnership since 2021. She holds a Master’s degree in Marketing Management from the University of Tasmania in Australia. Shangchen has a background of both domestic and international working experience in project administration. Her current work mainly focuses on the administrative and financial management of the project.
Dai Min Joined GIZ in June 2010, previously as a Technical Advisor in the Sino-German Environmental Policy Programme and in the follow-up Sino-German Environmental Partnership Project (SGEP), she became the Project Manager of the SGEP since April 2019 until present. She has been implementing and managing a variety of project work streams and activities in close collaboration with the project partners and stakeholders, especially with partners at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) of China, and the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED). Dai Min has a research background in a variety of areas of environmental sciences from environmental governance, international environmental policy, environmental economics to ecology and natural resources. She holds a Master degree (MSc) in Environmental Science from Wageningen University of the Netherlands, and a Bachelor degree (BSc) in Environmental Policy and Management from Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Science of the Netherlands.
Jan-Hendrik Eisenbarth serves as Advisor in the Sino-German Environmental Partnership Project (SGEP) since 2020. Jan has been instrumental in implementing various project work streams and activities in close collaboration with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), project partners and stakeholders. He holds a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology from the University of Bonn. His research focus on marine biodiversity at the Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig has provided him with valuable professional experience in Indonesia. Prior to joining the Sino-German Environmental Partnership, Jan worked for 2 years in the Sustainability Office of GIZ, where he concentrated on environmental management, corporate biodiversity management, and sustainable procurement.