On September 22, 2020, China proposed the “carbon peak and carbon neutrality” goals. Subsequently, the Ministry of Education issued the Action Plan for Sci-Tech Innovation in Higher Education Institutions Toward Carbon Neutrality to advance interdisciplinary programs and majors related to carbon neutrality.
This course addresses the urgent talent needs driven by China’s national “dual carbon” strategy, focusing on establishing a robust financial infrastructure critical to implementing this initiative. It systematically maps the global evolution of carbon finance markets, deeply integrating theoretical frameworks with real-world practices. Coverage includes cutting-edge areas such as carbon trading mechanism development and innovative carbon financial products, aiming to cultivate students’ ability to apply interdisciplinary methods for tackling complex carbon finance challenges through research and practice.
Breaking away from traditional finance or standalone carbon trading perspectives, the course offers distinct features and value:
1. Aligned with National Strategy and Reinforcing Ideological Leadership
Focusing on the strategic emerging field of building a multidimensional, efficient, and resilient carbon financial system, the course integrates important discourses since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on ecological civilization construction and sustainable development strategy into the essence of carbon finance and case studies of carbon trading markets. This helps students understand the underlying logic and policy orientation of China's carbon finance development, shaping their sense of responsibility and strategic thinking for green development.
2. Building Systematic Knowledge and Covering Key Areas
Pioneering a “Policy-Market-Behavior” triple-integrated core theoretical framework, the course reveals how top-level national “dual carbon” policies drive the formation of carbon finance markets, subsequently influencing micro-level behaviors of financial institutions and enterprises. It innovatively dissects practical challenges in translating China’s carbon finance vision from policy blueprint to market implementation, offering contextualized solutions rooted in domestic experience. The course content ranges from basic theories to comprehensive systems, fully covering specialized knowledge across the carbon finance spectrum, enabling the development of personalized teaching plans for students with different foundational levels.
3. Interdisciplinary Perspective and Globalized Resource Ecosystem
As a typical interdisciplinary field, carbon peak and carbon neutrality represent important breakthroughs for novel ideas, technologies, and principles. Leveraging nearly three decades of research and educational expertise in carbon emission reduction management by the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research at Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), the course effectively utilizes the university's interdisciplinary leadership in management science, energy economics, environmental economics, and engineering. Supported by the Ministry of Education’s Pilot Project on Co-building Digital Courses Between Chinese and British Universities, the BIT faculty collaborates with University College London (UCL) to develop bilingual teaching resources. Through joint lectures by Chinese and international faculty and analysis of global case studies, the course realizes a dual-loop teaching model bridging “Chinese Practice” and “Global Standards”, preparing students for practical simulations in global carbon financial governance and international cooperation.
