In the second international conference of a series on the role of Think Tanks in China, R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute gave a presentation on environment and development policy and the contribution of think tanks to harmonious and sustainable social development. Conveners of the conference were the Institute for Social Development (ISD) of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), and the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) of the University of Pennsylvania.

In his presentation, R. Andreas Kraemer covered policies on environment, resources, energy, climate, health, and sustainable development.  He explained the specific conditions in policies areas that are in the public interest rather than small groups of economic actors.  By giving a number of examples, he addressed the specific challenges Think Tanks face and contributions they made in the field.

Key issues covered by the conference were:

• The Role of Think Tanks in Social Development in China
• Market and Governance: Challenges and Opportunities for Social and Economic Development Arising from Processes of Globalization
• Industrialization and Urbanization: Social and Political conditions of Development Strategies
• Environment and Resource Crisis: Development and Environmentally Sustainable Resource Utilization
• Comparison of Development Models: Similarities and Differences of Development Models amongst the G20

The presentation [pdf, 2.4 MB, English] by R. Andreas Kraemer is available for download.