The Sound of Economics Paradoxical EU-China climate relations
Oct 29, 2025
Cecilia Trasi, a Senior Policy Advisor at EcoThinkTank and expert on EU–China climate cooperation, shares insights on the paradoxical nature of EU–China relations. Both economies aim for a green transition but take divergent paths—Europe with strict regulation and China focusing on green tech exports. They discuss pragmatic collaboration opportunities like green finance taxonomies and circular economy projects. The debate also touches on the challenges of leadership in global climate action and the implications of China's selective decarbonization policy.
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Paradoxical But Pragmatic Partnership
- EU–China climate ties are paradoxical: symbolically strong but structurally strained by trade tensions and divergent ambitions.
- Cecilia Trasi argues pragmatic, technical cooperation keeps diplomacy open despite friction.
Convergence, Not Alignment
- 'Convergence, not alignment' means shared outcomes without identical rules or governance models.
- Trasi urges technical interoperability, pilots, and mutual learning rather than full harmonization.
Supply Vs Demand Approaches Diverge
- China prioritizes supply-side industrial policy and green-tech exports while the EU uses costly demand-side pricing and regulation.
- Alicia García‑Herrero warns this methodological gap creates winners and losers, with Europe disadvantaged.