Gerd Winter was a Professor of Law at the University of Bremen from 1973-2008. He has founded and directed the Research Center for European Environmental Law (FEU) until 2016 and has served as consultant on administrative and environmental law development in transition countries. At the conference, his presentation focused on the EU People’s Climate Case, in which he has been directly involved as a leading counsel for the plaintiffs.

Hao Zhang is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law, Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on Chinese energy law, climate law and comparative environmental law. In his presentation, Prof Zhang analyzed the issue of renewable energy curtailment in China from a legal and regulatory perspective and explained why the judiciary had played a limited role in resolving this problem. Specifically, he underlined the difficulties faced by renewable energy generators to access the evidence necessary to substantiate their curtailment damage claims.

Huiyu Zhao is Associate Professor of the Koguan Law School at Shanghai Jiaotong University. Her research focuses mainly on environmental law and energy law & policy. In her presentation, Prof. Zhao focused on the current development of the coal industry in the absence of a comprehensive energy law in China, especially its increasing concentration and the rise of the coal chemical industry.

Shengzhi Wang is Counsel from the Sunshine Law Firm’s Shanghai Office. His practice focuses on environmental compliance and transaction legal counseling, including for solar and wind energy project developers. In his presentation, he spoke about the rising concern about the environmental impact of renewable energy projects stemming from their rapid expansion and the increasingly comprehensive environmental protection system under which they operate in China.

Jinmei Liu is an environmental lawyer who has been leading the law and policy project of the Chinese Environmental NGO Friends of Nature since 2018. In her presentation, Ms Liu provided an overview of the current conditions for bringing climate-related lawsuits in China. Focusing on NGOs, she noted their critical importance since only them have brought such cases, even though, unlike public procuratorates and individuals, they can only sue private companies (not government) and have to demonstrate a damage to the public interest to prove standing.