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California-China Climate Institute (CCCI)

Website:

ccci.berkeley.edu/
Location:

Berekely, CA
Type:

Climate Activist Organization
Status:

Project of the University of California-Berkeley
Formation:

2019
Director:

Fan Dei

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California-China Climate Institute (CCCI) is a University of California-wide initiative housed at University of California, Berkeley that aims to advance cooperation between California and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on climate-related issues. CCCI operates in partnership with the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development at China’s Tsinghua University. 1 2

CCCI was launched by former California Governor Jerry Brown (D) after he left office in 2019 3 and officially established with the enactment of California Assembly Bill 39 in September 2021. 4 CCCI supports several high-level dialogues between California and China 5 6 and serves as the secretariat for climate-related memorandums of understanding (MOUs) between California and the Chinese government. 7

In October 2023, CCCI leaders helped plan and support California Governor Gavin Newsom’s (D) trip to China, which included a meeting with Xi Jinping, head of the Chinese Communist Party and President of the People’s Republic of China. The visit faced criticism 8 for ignoring human rights issues 9 10 and for strengthening ties between California and China’s Tsinghua University. 11

History and Leadership

California-China Climate Institute was launched in September 2019. 12 CCCI was officially established with the enactment of California Assembly Bill 39 in September 2021. 13

CCCI is led by former California Governor Jerry Brown (D) and vice chaired by Mary Nichols. The institute receives additional support from staff, business, academic, and climate advisory committees, and a governing board of university and government officials. 14

CCCI vice-chair Mary Nichols previously worked as the Chair of the California Air Resources Board under Governors Brown, Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), and Gavin Newsom (D). She was California’s secretary for natural resources for Governor Gray Davis (D). Nichols also worked in the Clinton administration Environmental Protection Agency and for the left-of-center National Resources Defense Council. 15

As of January 2024, Fan Dai is the director of CCCI. She worked in the administration of former California Governor Jerry Brown (D) and in various roles in the California Environmental Protection Agency. 16

Jennifer Perron and Jessica Gordon are CCCI’s senior climate policy fellows. Prior to joining CCCI, Perron worked at the Brookings Institution and at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 17 Gordon previously worked at the United Nations Development Program and Oxfam America and has received fellowships from the East-West Center and the Social Science Research Council. 18 Former Clinton administration deputy U.S. Secretary of State Susan Shirk is also affiliated with the organization. 19

Activities and Funding

California-China Climate Institute is a University of California-wide initiative jointly housed at University of California, Berkeley’s School of Law through its Center for Law, Energy and the Environment and the Rausser College of Natural Resources. 20

CCCI operates in partnership Tsinghua University’s Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development 21 22 and other University of California campuses, departments, and leaders. 23 In July 2023, the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) opened an investigation into other cooperative efforts between UC Berkeley and Tsinghua University. 24 CCCI chair Jerry Brown also hosts a climate dialogue podcast whose guests have included Asia Society CEO and former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. 25

According to CCCI founder and former California Governor Jerry Brown (D), the institute was founded as a direct result of the climate-related work he did with Xi Jinping, the head of the Chinese Communist Party and President of the People’s Republic of China. CCCI is committed to the training and bringing together scholars from China and California. 26

In legislation officially establishing CCCI, the organization is required to foster collaboration to shape climate policy and advance the goals of the Paris Agreement, advance joint policy research on major climate issues, and support high-level dialogue between California and China on climate issues. These issues include low-carbon transportation, carbon pricing, climate adaptation, land use, and carbon capture. CCCI also provides training to Californian and Chinese researchers, scientists, and experts to advance these objectives. 27 28

Direct Engagement with China

California-China Climate Institute has directly engaged with the Chinese government on various occasions. In 2023, CCCI leaders helped plan and support California Governor Gavin Newsom’s (D) trip to China, which included a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and faced criticism 29 for ignoring human rights issues. 30 31

In November 2023, CCCI hosted the US-China Climate Forum at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco, California. 32 In October 2023, CCCI co-hosted the Great Wall Climate Dialogue, which was attended by Governor Newsom and officials from China’s environmental ministry and several provincial-level governments. This meeting supported the development of a Declaration of Enhanced Subnational Climate Action and Cooperation Between the State of California and the People’s Republic of China, 33 the first declaration of its kind between China and a subnational government. 34 35

CCCI also serves as the secretariat for the memorandums of understanding (MOUs) between California and China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment and Hainan Province. CCCI organizes policy training sessions and other events where Californian professors are invited to lecture Chinese policymakers on climate-related issues. 36

Funding

California-China Climate Institute receives private funding 37 from program-specific grants to the University of California, Berkeley. In 2023, CCCI received $1,600,000 from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. 38 The Hewlett Foundation also gave CCCI $1,000,000 in 2021 39 and 2019. 40

From 2019 to 2021, CCCI received at least $700,000 from the left-of-center Rockefeller Brothers Fund. 41

References

  1. “Overview.” California-China Climate Institute LinkedIn Profile. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/company/california-china-climate-institute/about/.
  2. “AB 39: California-China Climate Institute.” The Climate Center. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://theclimatecenter.org/our-work/bill-tracker/ab-39-california-china-climate-institute/.
  3. “About Us.” Berkeley California-China Climate Institute. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://ccci.berkeley.edu/about.
  4. “Assembly Bill No. 39.” State of California. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB39.
  5. “AB 39: California-China Climate Institute.” The Climate Center. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://theclimatecenter.org/our-work/bill-tracker/ab-39-california-china-climate-institute/.
  6. “2021 – Assembly Bill 39 (Chau, Ed), California-China Climate Institute (Chaptered).” California Air Resources Board. California Legislative Session 2021-2022. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/2021-assembly-bill-39-chau-ed-california-china-climate-institute-chaptered.
  7. “Building China Partnership in China.” Berkeley Law. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.law.berkeley.edu/sidebar/california-china-climate-institute-newsom-visit-partnerships/.
  8. McCartney, Micah. “Gov. Gavin Newsom Wrong to Bury Human Rights on China Visit, Activists Say.” Newsweek. October 24, 2023. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.newsweek.com/gavin-newsom-china-human-rights-1837179.
  9. “Building China Partnership in China.” Berkeley Law. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.law.berkeley.edu/sidebar/california-china-climate-institute-newsom-visit-partnerships/.
  10. Dustin Gardiner and Alicia Begert. “Gavin goes global: Newsom takes a risk on China.” Politico. October 19, 2023. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/19/gavin-newsom-china-trip-00122383.
  11. Kerr, Andrew. “Gavin Newsom Ignores Intelligence Warnings, Strengthens Ties With CCP-Linked Climate Group.” Washington Free Beacon. November 16, 2023. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/gavin-newsom-ignores-intelligence-warnings-strengthens-ties-with-ccp-linked-climate-group/.
  12. “About Us.” Berkeley California-China Climate Institute. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://ccci.berkeley.edu/about.
  13. “Assembly Bill No. 39.” State of California. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB39.
  14. “About Us.” Berkeley California-China Climate Institute. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://ccci.berkeley.edu/about.
  15. “Mary Nichols.” California-China Climate Institute. Accessed January 14, 2023. https://ccci.berkeley.edu/people/ccci-mary-nichols.
  16. [1] “Fan Dai.” Berkeley California-China Climate Institute. Accessed January 14, 0224. https://ccci.berkeley.edu/people/ccci-dai-fan.
  17. “Jennifer Perron.” Berkeley California-China Climate Institute. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://ccci.berkeley.edu/people/ccci-perron-jennifer.
  18. “Jessica Gordon.” California-China Climate Institute. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://ccci.berkeley.edu/people/ccci-gordon-jessica.
  19. “Susan Shirk.” California-China Climate Institute. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://ccci.berkeley.edu/people/shirk-susan.
  20. “Overview.” California-China Climate Institute LinkedIn Profile. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/company/california-china-climate-institute/about/.
  21. “Overview.” California-China Climate Institute LinkedIn Profile. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/company/california-china-climate-institute/about/.
  22. “AB 39: California-China Climate Institute.” The Climate Center. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://theclimatecenter.org/our-work/bill-tracker/ab-39-california-china-climate-institute/.
  23. “About Us.” Berkeley California-China Climate Institute. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://ccci.berkeley.edu/about.
  24. “Gallagher, Foxx Open Investigation into UC Berkeley’s Joint Institute linked to Chinese Military.” Office of the Select Committee on the CCP.” July 17, 2023. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/media/press-releases/gallagher-foxx-open-investigation-uc-berkeleys-joint-institute-linked-chinese.
  25. “Climate Dialogues with Jerry Brown.” Berkeley California-China Climate Institute. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://ccci.berkeley.edu/climate-dialogues-jerry-brown.
  26. “Governor Brown California-China Climate Institute Introduction.” UC Berkeley YouTube Channel. Uploaded May 11, 2020. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB6WnWXXRKE.
  27. “AB 39: California-China Climate Institute.” The Climate Center. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://theclimatecenter.org/our-work/bill-tracker/ab-39-california-china-climate-institute/.
  28. “2021 – Assembly Bill 39 (Chau, Ed), California-China Climate Institute (Chaptered).” California Air Resources Board. California Legislative Session 2021-2022. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/2021-assembly-bill-39-chau-ed-california-china-climate-institute-chaptered.
  29. McCartney, Micah. “Gov. Gavin Newsom Wrong to Bury Human Rights on China Visit, Activists Say.” Newsweek. October 24, 2023. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.newsweek.com/gavin-newsom-china-human-rights-1837179.
  30. [1] “Building China Partnership in China.” Berkeley Law. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.law.berkeley.edu/sidebar/california-china-climate-institute-newsom-visit-partnerships/.
  31. Dustin Gardiner and Alicia Begert. “Gavin goes global: Newsom takes a risk on China.” Politico. October 19, 2023. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/19/gavin-newsom-china-trip-00122383.
  32.  “Tweet.” CCCI Twitter. Posted November 21, 2023. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://x.com/calchinaclimate/status/1727091774257328310?s=46&t=3NS6kAbTQoTxAHIoHcM5iQ.
  33. “Declaration of Enhanced Subnational Climate Action and Cooperation Between the State of California and the People’s Republic of China.” Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom. October 25, 2023. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/JOINT-STATEMENT-10.25.docx.pdf.
  34. “Building China Partnership in China.” Berkeley Law. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.law.berkeley.edu/sidebar/california-china-climate-institute-newsom-visit-partnerships/.
  35. “At China’s Great Wall, Momentum Builds for Climate Action.” Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom. October 26, 2023. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/10/26/at-chinas-great-wall-momentum-builds-for-climate-action/.
  36. [1] “Building China Partnership in China.” Berkeley Law. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.law.berkeley.edu/sidebar/california-china-climate-institute-newsom-visit-partnerships/.
  37. [1] “Assembly Bill No. 39.” State of California. Accessed January 15, 2024. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB39.
  38. “UC Berkeley.” William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. May 4, 2023. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://hewlett.org/grants/uc-berkeley-for-the-california-china-climate-institute/.
  39. “William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2021. Part XIV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/941655673/202233189349104163/IRS990PF.
  40. “William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2019. Part XIV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/941655673/202043089349100749/IRS990PF.
  41. “The Regents of the University of California.” Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Accessed January 14, 2024. https://www.rbf.org/grantees/regents-university-california-0.
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California-China Climate Institute (CCCI)

1995 University Avenue, Suite 460
Berekely, CA