Promoting Chinese green technology solutions with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Client

EBRD.

Expertise

Sustainable finance

Impact

Greater visibility of China's green tech solutions on the international financial stage.

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Challenge

How can China's green technologies be better promoted and financed in the international capital market?

Financial institutions have the power to finance the transition to a low carbon economy by investing in green technologies. Yet a lack of promotional tools and assessment standards have limited funding access for such solutions around the world — including in China. 

It's why the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) launched the Green Technology Selector. This is an online platform, which connects vendors of the best green technologies with financial institutions. The tool aims to standardise and raise confidence in green financing emerging technologies. Given China's extensive production capacity for green technologies and robust network of manufacturers and industry associations, EBRD wanted to expand its platform to China. However, first, it had to raise awareness among Chinese manufacturers.

The Green Technology Selector

The Green Technology Selector (GTS) is a global directory of green technologies developed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). It is an information tool created by leading European financial institutions to promote the use of green technologies and enhance market efficiency. The technical and environmental performance of each technology is evaluated against EBRD's minimum performance criteria.

More than 30,000 products are listed on the GTS, ranging from heat pumps and solar panels to no-till seeding machines.

Solution

Identifying, verifying, and matching China’s green technologies

The Carbon Trust was commissioned to expand the Green Technology Selector in China, establishing a link between the directory and the Chinese market. The goal was to target Chinese manufacturers and identify eligible green solutions. In collaboration with industrial associations, such as China’s Environmental Protection Industry Development Centre, Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products and China National Institute of Standardisation, we:

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Contacted over 1,700 Chinese manufacturers and vendors. Technologies fell within eight product types. This included air-source heat pumps, ground-source heat pumps, lithium-ion batteries, water-cooled chillers, air-cooled chillers, compressed air, electric motors, and air conditioners.

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Engaged with key government stakeholders, industrial associations and financial institutions across China to raise the profile of the Green Technology Selector and its potential for domestic businesses wanting to scale.
 

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Ensured the quality of the different technology solutions was checked against EBRD’s entry requirements for environmental and technical performance. 
Technologies that met the GTS Platinum Standard were solicited.

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Trained staff across EBRD China and local partners on how to use the Green Technology Selector platform and help Chinese green technology manufacturers to register their products.
 

Impact

A spotlight on China’s green tech industry for greater export and financing opportunities

On the GTS platform, businesses and financial institutions can browse products by country and see items that exceed performance standards. Through this work, EBRD was able to add more Chinese green technologies to the platform. Not only can this help boost the visibility of China’s emerging technologies, but it can also spur investment.

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Over 150 Chinese manufacturers have registered on the Green Technology Selector to date. As a result, more than 2,500 products from China feature across the platform – from biomass boilers and water pumps to air cooled chillers and electric forklifts.

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An opportunity for Chinese manufacturers to distinguish themselves. Being listed on GTS gives products, suppliers, and manufacturers global promotion and recognises them as first-rate green technologies.
 

value chain

Greater visibility of China’s green technology solutions in front of financial institutions. More than 150 financial institutions use GTS as an evaluation tool and have developed their own green financial products based on the GTS.

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An opportunity for China to increase its exports as the Green Technology Selector covers over 28 countries across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia.

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Having a standardised tool like the Green Technology Selector is central to scaling up green financing globally and is especially helpful in giving confidence in small- and medium-sized green investment opportunities in emerging markets. We are proud to have supported this expansion into China to promote the international trade of green products and strengthen this key green finance market.

Ian Smith
Associate Director, Climate Strategy and Delivery, EBRD
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The initial focus of the Green Technology Selector was to help financial institutions reduce transaction costs for small-scale financing. This quickly developed into a matchmaking tool for vendors to influence the purchasing decisions of businesses and households. The Carbon Trust has been a valued partner in deploying this tool in the global market to help accelerate the transition to low carbon and climate resilient economies.

Chris Stephens
Director, Asia and Africa, The Carbon Trust
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