Sustainability

Beijing cuts exports of rare earths

Beijing wants to regulate the import and export of rare earths even more strictly. This is bad news for the EU, which imports almost 98 percent of its requirements of these metals from China. For years, China has systematically bought the market dry and hoarded the raw materials. The EU should have acted long ago but underestimated the issue. Now Brussels is frantically looking for alternatives.

By Frank Sieren

Asia's climate optimism

Asian governments, including China, have issued political climate targets. If they are to be achieved, relations between Beijing and Washington must be stable. In Asia, the challenge now is to mobilize private-sector forces to drive carbon reduction. It's about green financial instruments, transparency and clear guidance on standards.

By Ning Wang

Xie Zhenhua: China's new climate envoy

By Nico Beckert

Batteries for electricity storage

The recycling of spent EV batteries is still in its infancy worldwide. China will soon be the first country to be confronted with a gigantic amount of used batteries. The first recycling factories have been set up. Rules and standards for recycling have already been set. For example, by law, EV companies must collect their used batteries everywhere they sell cars. One of the pioneers in recycling is electric car pioneer BYD.

By Christiane Kuehl

'Case-by-case alliances are needed'

New times demand new answers. Imposing sanctions on China will not succeed. Decoupling has a high price. Ten theses by Juergen Trittin on Europe's relationship with China and the USA, presented at the annual foreign policy conference of the Heinrich Boell Foundation.

By Antje Sirleschtov

China's 'climate billionaires'

Bloomberg's ranking of "green billionaires" is dominated by the Chinese. The shareholders of EV, battery and solar manufacturers are benefiting from the boom in sustainable investments. But caution is advised: Large parts of the "green fortune" are based on massively increased stock market prices.

By Nico Beckert