A new Green Economy textbook aims to play a significant role in assisting the Chinese government, policy makers and the general public in moving towards an Inclusive Green Economy and the Chinese concept of Ecological Civilization, turning environmental challenges into new opportunities for sustainable development.

The Chinese textbook, titled ‘Green Economy: Theory, methods and cases from the United Nations’ perspective,’ is produced by UNEP in collaboration with Tongji University and aims to inform China’s next Five Year Plan – the country’s development blueprint.

The guide, launched in Beijing on June 10, is supported by examples tailored to a Chinese audience and provides a systematic understanding of the Inclusive Green Economy concept and its links with an Ecological Civilization.

The publication forms part of UNEP’s enhanced engagement with the academic community, helping ensure that a new generation of graduates become familiar with Green Economy concepts, domains, methodologies and practical solutions. To this end, the textbook will shared with universities around China - some of which are members of the Global Universities Partnership on Environment for Sustainability network.

The Textbook was launched at a High-Level Panel made up of UNEP’s Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Achim Steiner; Prof. Wang Guangtao, Chairman of the UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development Board and former Minister of Construction and Prof. Wu Jiang, who is Board Chair of GUPES, Vice President of Tongji University and Dean of the Institute for Environment and Sustainable Development at Tongji University. Prof. Zhu Dajian, Director of the Institute of Governance for Sustainability at Tongji University also sat on the panel and is co-editor of the textbook together with Sheng Fulai, Head of Economic Research at UNEP’s Economics and Trade Branch.

UNEP is working closely with the Chinese government in developing the next Five Year Plan, which is due to begin in 2016. Together with the China Council, the UN’s environmental authority has been running a high-level meeting of international experts to provide inputs to the plan from the perspective of an inclusive green economy. In addition, through UNEP’s initiative on the ‘Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System,’ we are also working with the People’s Bank of China to establish a green financial system for the country.

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or contact chiara.moroni@unep.org