Energy Transition in Germany and China: Comparative Study Published

In June 2026, a six-day study visit brought energy experts from Jiangsu and Sichuan to North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany as well as Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The visit aimed to deepen mutual understanding of energy transition pathways and identify opportunities for future cooperation between Chinese provinces and German states on green and low-carbon development. A key highlight was the "2026 German States and Chinese Provinces Cooperation Workshop on Green and Low-Carbon Energy Transition", jointly organised by GIZ, the China Electricity Council (CEC) and the Wuppertal Institute in Düsseldorf on 10 June.

Why partnerships between German federal states and Chinese provinces are important for the energy transition

Although China has committed to ambitious CO2 reduction targets at the national level, the challenges lie at provincial level – as this is where the practical implementation of the energy transition takes place: The regions must reconcile rising energy demand with an electricity mix that is still dominated by coal. Accordingly, Germany’s experience in linking climate policy with sub-national decarbonisation efforts can be utilised to promote bilateral energy cooperation at the national level, right through to concrete implementation on the ground. By connecting the German industrial regions of North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg with China’s leading energy provinces, Sichuan and Jiangsu, joint measures to decarbonise the energy sector can be developed. The aim is to promote cooperation at the sub-national level in order to translate shared climate targets into concrete approaches for the integrated energy systems of the future.

Comparative study on the energy transition in China and Germany

At the "2026 German States and Chinese Provinces Cooperation Workshop on Green and Low-Carbon Energy Transition", researchers from the Wuppertal Institute and the China Electricity Council (CEC) presented the comparative study "Comparison analysis and cooperation potentials study for Energy Transition in North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg and Jiangsu, Sichuan": With this study, the researchers provide a comparative analysis of the energy transition in Germany and China, focusing on North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, Jiangsu and Sichuan. The authors synthesise and compare key technology pathways, policy and market arrangements, governance structures, and the principal challenges faced by each region by comparing electricity generation and consumption, electrification, system flexibility, grid infrastructure and economic diversification alongside the energy transition. Based on this comparison, they identify areas of convergence and divergence and highlight potential priority topics for further analysis in the next project phase.

Closer cooperation between China and Germany in the energy sector

The workshop and study tour enhanced mutual learning between Chinese and German stakeholders in the energy sector. Participants shared experiences in power system flexibility, renewable hydrogen development, and industrial decarbonisation, with a particular focus on industrial clusters.

The study "Comparison analysis and cooperation potentials study for Energy Transition in North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg and Jiangsu, Sichuan" is available to download free of charge in English and Chinese language via the following link.