On January 20, 2025, the kick-off meeting for the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) Special Policy Study (SPS) on "Promote High-Quality Development with Circular Economy" was held online. This SPS is co-chaired by CCICED Special Advisor Hu Qing, Professor of the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUS Tech) on the Chinese side, and CCICED Special Advisor Ilka Hirt, Deputy Director-General of the International Policy of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), on the international side.

The meeting was co-moderated by the Chinese Deputy Lead, Li Wenqiang, Director General of the Solid Waste and Chemicals Management Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) of China; and the International Deputy Lead, Jocelyn Blériot, Executive Lead for International Institutions & Governments of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The opening remarks were addressed by Liu Shijin, CCICED Chinese Chief Advisor; Zhou Guomei, CCICED Deputy Secretary-General and Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation at MEE of China; and Wen Xuefeng, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Solid Wastes and Chemicals at MEE of China. Li Yonghong, Deputy Secretary-General of CCICED and Director General of the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center at MEE of China, also attended the meeting.

In her speech, Ilka Hirt emphasized the urgency of transitioning to a circular economy and highlighted its systemic role in addressing resource pressures and environmental challenges. She shared preliminary inputs for the project, as well as relevant policy background from Germany and the EU, underscoring the critical importance of policy coherence in promoting resource efficiency. She expressed hope that this project would deepen international cooperation, advance best practices, and contribute new pathways to global sustainable development.

Professor Hu Qing then presented the overall framework for the project's implementation plan. She reviewed the policy background of China's circular economy, and introduced the methodology of the project. Drawing on experiences from the EU and particularly Germany, the SPS seeks to propose quantitative targets for resource utilization and explore mechanisms such as product passports and material banks to support resource recovery and the construction of green supply chains. In-depth case studies and research will also be conducted in sectors such as textiles and chemicals, providing decision-making support for China's and global green transitions.

Approximately 50 project team members, experts, and CCICED partners participated in the meeting.