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I love connecting with professionals, students, and other audiences. Give me a shout if you’re interested in hearing me talk about China, climate change, water, biotechnology — or to offer my opinion on just about anything.

scott@scottmoorephd.com

Academic Talk: China and the Geopolitics of Climate Change

International climate policy is now shaped as much by geopolitics as by energy, economics or ecology, in large part because of China. Diplomatic cooperation between China and the U.S. is often seen as essential for climate action, but its temporary suspension following Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan showed that climate change is directly affected by U.S.-China competition. Drawing on a recent book, "China’s Next Act," Scott Moore's talk will probe the implications of growing geopolitical tension and rivalry for climate action – including whether competition might help spur increased investment in clean technology and climate adaptation.

This public lecture series is organized by the 21st Century China Center at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. For more information on China activities, please visit china.ucsd.edu.

Academic Talk: The Climate Risk to China’s Rise: Political, Economic & Ecological Implications of Extreme Weather in China

There is a growing case to be made that, of the world’s major economies, China’s is most heavily exposed to climate risks. This talk—part of the Fairbank Center’s Environment in Asia series—probes the implications of climate risk and extreme weather for China’s future, including its impact on China’s growth prospects; its role in driving Beijing’s climate policy; and its contrast with China’s real successes in improving flood control and disaster response. Guest speaker Dr. Scott Moore, author of China’s Next Act: How Sustainability and Technology is Reshaping China’s Rise and the World’s Future, probes the ecological and technological dimensions of China’s rise, and examines how we can make progress in tackling shared global challenges amidst the growing geopolitical rivalry between China and other major powers. Towards the end of the talk, Dr. Moore—along with various members of the audience—even engage with the provocative idea of geoengineering, or climate intervention, and discuss how receptive Chinese authorities may be toward a potentially necessary strategy to “avert or blunt the worst impacts of climate change.”

Podcast: China’s Pivot to Sustainability

My Climate Journey podcast with host Cody Simms Guest: Dr. Scott Moore, Director of China Programs at the University of Pennsylvania Full episode: https://mcj.news/smoore

China is a complicated climate topic: on the one hand, China is the largest solar energy producer in the world and has the largest EV industry in the world, each of which rose from being nearly non-existent 15 years ago. On the other hand, China generates more than 60% of its electricity from coal and is the world's largest annual emitter of greenhouse gases. Scott and Cody cover a lot of ground, including how the Chinese economic and political system operates, how the solar and EV industries came to be, China's climate policies, global commitments, and the country's current climate, tech and innovation priorities. Given China's role and impact in just about everything, we probably should do another 100 or more MCJ episodes on topics related to China. Hopefully this initial primer can help us all get oriented.

Book Talk: China’s Next Act with the Center for Strategic and International Studies

Please join the Trustee Chair for Chinese Business & Economics for this online event featuring Scott M. Moore, Director of China Programs and Strategic Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania, who will discuss his new book China’s Next Act: How Sustainability and Technology are Reshaping China's Rise and the World's Future. Moore will talk about how issues such as climate change, public health, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology have fundamentally shaped China’s rise and its relationship with the United States and the rest of the world. Moore will first share the findings of his book, which will be followed by a discussion about China’s trajectory and the implications for global governance and the U.S.-China relationship with two distinguished panelists Carla Freeman (United States Institute of Peace) and Andrew Mertha (Johns Hopkins University SAIS). Trustee Chair Fellow Ilaria Mazzocco will host and moderate the discussion, first with the author and panelists, and then with the audience.

 

China’s Climate Policy

The adverse effects of climate change are already being seen in crippling high temperatures, prolonged droughts, and a seemingly constant stream of extreme weather events testing countries all over the world. With the United States and China jointly accounting for over 40 percent of global greenhouse emissions and geopolitical competition intensifying, Dr. Scott Moore explains how domestic national security interests intersect with the bilateral conversation on climate. As each nation seeks to mitigate the worst effects of climate change within their borders, where is bilateral climate cooperation taking place now and how might it develop in the future? In an interview conducted on August 5, 2021, Dr. Scott Moore discusses the implications for climate change on national security in both China and the United States.

 

China and Biotechnology

On the heels of bullish growth in China’s biotech sector, China Institute hosted a business dialogue on June 2 with U.S. and Chinese experts on the factors spurring this massive industry expansion in China. How can companies map a strategy for tapping into the country’s growth and innovation in biotech? How will China’s biotech reshape the global biopharma landscape? What are the opportunities and continuing challenges? And how does US-China tension influence affect the outlook for collaboration?

 

Climate Change and Water Security in Asia

A Distinguished Lecture on Climate Change and the Future of Water Security in South Asia September 20, 2021 | 6 p.m. IST Zoom and Facebook Live Speaker: Prof Scott Moore Senior Fellow, Penn Water Center, and Director of China Programs and Strategic Initiatives, Office of the Provost, University of Pennsylvania, USA Discussants: Dr Ranjana Ray Chaudhuri Faculty, Department of Regional Water Studies, TERI School of Advanced Studies, New Delhi Dr Indira Khurana Vice Chair, Tarun Bharat Sangh, Alwar Moderator: Dr Simi Mehta CEO & Editorial Director, IMPRI

 

Selected Commentary

  • With Craig Martin

    The global community’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are faltering and the world is getting hotter. On its current trajectory, the world is unlikely to meet the limits it set for itself in the 2015 Paris Agreement to halt global warming. According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, average global temperatures have already increased by 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) relative to preindustrial levels, are likely to exceed the 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) Paris goal by as soon as 2040, and could reach an increase of between 3 and 4 degrees Celsius by 2100. That level of warming would be catastrophic.

    As this reality sets in, once fringe ideas about how to artificially cool the planet are gaining traction. One such idea is lowering global temperatures by effectively shading the planet, a process known as solar geoengineering. Recent reports from major players in the policy world, including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the U.S. director of national intelligence, and the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), have all considered this controversial technique to combat global warming, at least as an interim measure until greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere can be reduced. As usual, however, policy trails practice: in 2022, a California-based startup called Make Sunsets began launching balloons filled with sulphate particles high into the atmosphere where, in theory, they would cool the planet by reflecting incoming sunlight.

  • Foreign Affairs, July 18, 2023

    Global warming must become its top priority

  • Los Angeles Times, April 21, 2023

    co-authored with Derek Scissors

    The world’s second-biggest economy is probably headed neither for ascendancy nor decline, but rather for prolonged stasis. This scenario is less dramatic but still disruptive: It would alter global economic growth and could impede future responses to shared challenges like climate change. As Washington gears up for a period of greater focus on U.S.-China relations, policymakers should prepare for a China that is effectively just running in place.

  • Foreign Policy, March 30, 2023

    Co-authored with Erin Sikorsky

    As Beijing slips on climate, Washington should step in.

  • Foreign Policy, February 21, 2023

    Co-authored with Eyck Freymann

    Beijing and Washington share an interest in rules for climate experimentation.

  • Politico Magazine, February 13, 2023

    History offers lessons for easing the current U.S.-China crisis.

  • New Security Beat, December 14, 2022

    Thanks to the war in Ukraine, a new issue at @COP27P was conflict-related emissions. In a new piece for @NewSecurityBeat I look at the implications of using climate change as a new arena to contest sovereignty claims -- and wage information warfare.

  • Lawfare, November 15, 2022

    China faces a crucial choice: become a more creative, dynamic economy, or prioritize security and stability. Unfortunately for Beijing, it can’t have both.

  • ChinaFile, April 8, 2022

    Co-authored with Abigail Coplin

    U.S. policy and strategy on China and biotechnology must strike a better balance between addressing legitimate concerns while maintaining the openness and innovation that underpin America’s competitive advantage in emerging technology.

  • The Diplomat, December 1, 2020

    As climate action becomes a question of geopolitical competition, the world’s major economies look ready to finally take serious steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

  • The Washington Post, May 1, 2020

    Co-authored with Zeke Emanuel

    When COVID-19 began its deadly spread, foreign commentators were quick to point to China’s authoritarian political system as a key factor behind the outbreak. But economics and geography were equally important.

  • Foreign Affairs, February 13, 2020

    Co-authored with Tarun Chhabra and Dominic Tierney

    Competition with China abroad can help fight climate change, advance social justice, and supercharge innovation at home.

  • The Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2019

    Co-authored with Zeke Emanuel and Amy Gadsden

    Washington could show its seriousness about key technologies like AI, gene editing and quantum computing by making big federal investments.

  • Foreign Affairs, March 18, 2020

    The real challenges are not technical, but political

  • The New York Times, March 11, 2014

    China is by far the world’s largest and most populous country not to employ some form of federalism — a curious combination of political centralization and fiscal-administrative decentralization that defines much of how the country functions.