ECCI supports China's first low carbon college

ECCI's Executive Director Andy Kerr and Deputy Director Ed Craig joined an historic visit to Shanghai this month to support the latest phase in the development of China’s first college for the study of low carbon technology.

The China-UK Low Carbon College will encourage climate innovation in China and around the world and draws on the expertise of ECCI, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the University of Edinburgh.

University of Edinburgh staff, working with colleagues from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, will help deliver teaching on carbon finance and management, carbon capture and storage and environmental sustainability, while innovative research projects will tackle poor air quality, energy efficiency and sustainable construction. The college will be based at custom-designed facilities in the new 'smart' city of Shanghai Lingang.

The Senior Vice-Principal of the University of Edinburgh, Charlie Jeffery, and colleagues from Shanghai Jiao Tong University signed a final memorandum of association for the college on Monday 11 December 2017.

The delegation to Shanghai participated in a major industrial forum in new city Lingang, hosted an introductory session for potential Masters students and delivered taster lectures and masterclasses to students, enterprises and public sector workers.

In 2018, the University of Edinburgh will be accepting Shanghai Jiao Tong students into five low carbon-focused Masters programmes as well as forging new research partnerships and a tailored executive education programme.

The local government partner, Shanghai Lingang Government, are keen to develop a low carbon innovation ecosystem based on the ECCI model and establish Lingang as a regional centre for the testing, implementation and scaling of low carbon solutions and ideas.

ECCI Deputy Director Ed Craig said:

“China produces more than a quarter of the world's carbon and in one year uses more concrete than the USA did in the whole of the last century.

"This college will help create, exchange and implement low carbon ideas, technologies and solutions to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

“This groundbreaking project shows the opportunity for the University of Edinburgh and Scotland to make a real impact with our Chinese partners in cultivating talent, industry and technology to lead the transformation to a clean energy future.”

Low Carbon College opening

Want to find out more? Watch a short film about the opening of the college in May 2017.