China is now the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gas pollution and faces a variety of environmental challenges. To address these issues, Emmett Institute faculty are conducting research, engaging with policymakers, and providing learning opportunities for students.

Emmett Institute faculty member Alex Wang is one of the country’s leading scholars of China law and environmental governance. Wang has led trainings for judges in China and is leading engagement with environment officials in China on strategies for the co-control of traditional air pollutants and greenhouse gases, drawing lessons from the United States’ Clean Air Act and California state law.

Wang also leads UCLA’s engagement with the California–China Climate Institute — a partnership with other University of California campuses, former California Gov. Jerry Brown, and Chinese climate officials — launched in 2019 to spur climate action through research, training and dialogue.

UCLA Law offers several courses that provide opportunities for students to understand China’s domestic laws and international role in climate change and environmental policy. Students are engaged in research projects on China and have explored China’s role in international climate policy as part of UCLA Law participation in UNFCCC talks.