Meet Our Team Leaders

Prof. D'Maris Coffman

Professor Coffman is a Professor in Economics and Finance of the Built Environment at the Bartlett and Vice Dean Innovation & Enterprise. From February 2017 to August 2023, she served as the Director (Head of Department) of BSSC (formerly BSCPM). She is Editor-in-Chief and Coordinating Editor of Elsevier's Structural Change and Economic Dynamics and on the honorary editorial boards of The Journal of Cleaner Production, Economia Politica, and the editorial boards of Frontiers of Engineering Management and the Chinese Journal of Population, Resources and Environment.

Experience

UCD Irish Institute for Chinese Studies Public Lecture Series

Delivered a public lecture titled “The New Multilateralism: Multilateral Governance and Regional Development after the SDGs” at University College Dublin. The lecture examined the shift from universal institutions to regional pacts, focusing on energy interdependence, climate adaptation, and the role of artificial intelligence.

CEA 2025 China Academic Annual Conference (Beijing)

Invited as a keynote speaker at this conference co-hosted by Beijing Institute of Technology. Contributed to discussions on green finance, innovation, and sustainability under the conference theme “Economic Frontiers: Interdisciplinarity, Innovation, and Sustainability under the New Development Pattern.”

CEA Europe/UK 2024 Annual Conference (University College London)

Global Cleaner Production Conference (GCPC) (Shanghai)

Cambridge Sustainability Forum 2024 (Co-organized by University of Cambridge and Shandong University)

Served as one of the keynote speakers at this conference co-organized by Elsevier and Fudan University. Delivered an online report on topics related to sustainable development and cleaner production, contributing to the conference's focus on integrating pollution prevention and lifecycle thinking to support global sustainability goals.

Delivered a speech titled “A Re-appraisal of Albert Aftalion’s Theory of Structural Transformation in an Era of Decarbonization” at this forum, which brought together over 100 experts and scholars from global institutions.

Served as a keynote speaker at the conference titled “Building Sustainability,” which attracted over 120 participants. Addressed themes of sustainable development and climate economics, highlighting interdisciplinary approaches to economic challenges in forums on climate change and ESG.

Prof. XI Liang

Xi Liang is currently Professor of Sustainable Construction and Project Management at Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction at University College London. Prior to joining UCL, he has been a Senior Lecturer in Energy Finance and Director at the Centre for Business and Climate Change (CBCC) at the University of Edinburgh.Xi is also a Standing Committee Member for China’s Climate Investment and Finance Association (CIFA) and Deputy Director for China’s CCUS Committee, within Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences.

Experience

High-Level Dialogue: Towards Carbon Neutrality Series III – Outlook and Hot Topics in Climate Investment and Finance

Organized by the Institute of Energy Economics and Environmental Policy at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, this event featured Professor Liang Xi as the keynote speaker. He reviewed the evolution of climate investment and finance policies, introduced pilot projects, and analyzed future research hotspots, such as green bonds, carbon financial products, and additionality assessment. He emphasized that climate investment is a key part of green finance and requires guiding social capital to climate-related fields to address the trillion-yuan funding gap. The event was held both offline and via Tencent Meeting, fostering academic and policy dialogue.

Corporate ESG Innovation and Chinese Modernization Forum

At this forum, Professor Liang Xi delivered a speech highlighting five types of ESG "greenwashing", including policy classification issues, green activities violating other benchmarks, selective disclosure, inaccurate reporting, and additionality problems. He proposed countermeasures such as strict green definitions, dynamic disclosure, and avoiding double counting. The speech underscored challenges in ESG localization and called for scientific standards and disclosure mechanisms to ensure genuine climate benefits. The forum promoted the integration of ESG with Chinese modernization.

Guangdong University of Technology Carbon Neutrality and Green Development Forum (2023) – Carbon Economy Management Sub-Forum on Climate Investment and Carbon Pricing

Royal Academy of Engineering UK-China Academic Exchange on CCUS

Tsinghua PBCSF Green Finance Lecture #41 – How to Understand Carbon Pricing

Professor Liang Xi discussed CCUS technological challenges and cooperation opportunities with UK and Chinese academicians. He presented updates on Guangdong's CCUS projects, such as carbon capture test platforms, and proposed collaborations in capture technology and offshore storage. The event, co-organized by the UK-Guangdong CCUS Center, enhanced bilateral technical exchanges for carbon neutrality goals.

In this lecture, Professor Liang Xi decoded carbon pricing mechanisms, including carbon markets, futures tools, and voluntary emission reduction markets. He explained that carbon prices depend on marginal abatement cost curves and policy mixes, and highlighted carbon futures' role in risk management and price discovery. The online event attracted a global audience, promoting knowledge dissemination on carbon pricing.

As a keynote speaker, Professor Liang Xi emphasized that carbon markets and climate investment must deliver real, additional climate benefits, highlighting the importance of blended finance. He analyzed the global climate funding gap (e.g., OECD's projection of an increase from 600billiontoover4 trillion) and China's pilot projects in 23 regions. The speech also discussed carbon pricing as a key signal, including carbon taxes, carbon markets, and implicit carbon prices.

China Carbon Registration Institute Expert Lecture on "Carbon Path China"

Tencent BLUE-CARE Blue Carbon Project Conclusion Meeting

8th UK-China Energy Dialogue Side Event: CCUS Seminar

Doctoral Alliance Online Salon #7 – Carbon Pricing Review and Outlook

Shenzhen Green Finance Association Online Seminar #68 – COP29 Review and International Climate Policy Outlook

Professor Liang Xi delivered a report titled "CCUS: Review, Outlook and Carbon Pricing System Construction", covering CCUS policies, technologies, and commercial pathways, with outlooks for industries like steel and cement. The lecture, chaired by the institute's Party Secretary, underscored CCUS as a key technology for carbon neutrality.

Professor Liang Xi reviewed COP29 outcomes, such as climate funding mechanisms, global carbon markets under Paris Agreement Article 6.4, and NDC updates, while outlining policy trends for the next five years. He noted the $300 billion climate funding pledge by developed countries and gaps with developing nations' needs. The event enhanced green finance capacity in the Greater Bay Area.

Professor Liang Xi lectured on carbon pricing and carbon accounting, reviewing global carbon tax and trading practices, and exploring technology's role in carbon neutrality. The salon, hosted by the Doctoral Alliance via Tencent Meeting, provided an academic platform for young scholars and advanced low-carbon transition research.

As Secretary-General of the UK-Guangdong CCUS Center, Professor Liang Xi presented Sino-UK cooperation achievements, such as the Guangdong carbon capture test platform, and discussed policy alignment and technological industrialization. The event gathered over 150 participants, fostering practical collaboration in CCUS for carbon neutrality goals.

As an expert panelist, Professor Liang Xi reviewed the project's outcomes, praising breakthroughs in blue carbon methodology. The project, launched by Xiamen University and Tencent, involved seagrass bed restoration and carbon sink transactions, serving as a model for blue carbon ecosystems. The meeting included workshops highlighting the need for international cooperation.

COP30 China Side Event on Climate Investment and Finance

European Sustainable Finance/Climate Finance Seminar Series

As part of a Chinese delegation, Professor Liang Xi delivered keynotes on climate risk management and sustainable disclosure during seminars in Germany and the EU. The visit included exchanges with the German Central Bank and European Commission, promoting Sino-EU standard alignment and cooperation.

Professor Liang Xi chaired a high-level dialogue with international experts on quantitative climate finance mechanisms at the COP30 side event in Belém, Brazil. The event highlighted China's role in climate governance and injected momentum into global carbon neutrality efforts.

Prof Dabo Guan

Dabo Guan is a Distinguished Professor of Climate Change Economics at the Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, and holds the Chair in Climate Change Economics at The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London. His research specializes in emission accounting for international climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, scenario analysis of environmental impacts, water resources management, and input-output modelling, with applications across both developed and developing nations. He also serves as the Chief Advisor for coordinating China-EU international cooperation on climate change.

Professor Guan was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS) in 2018. He is an editor for several prestigious journals including Global Environmental Change, Earth's Future, and Applied Energy, and serves on the editorial boards of Nature Sustainability, Scientific Data, and One Earth. Additionally, he is a council member of the Rockefeller Foundation Economic Council on Planetary Health. He previously contributed as a Lead Author for the Working Group III contribution to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

In 2024, Professor Guan, was awarded the prestigious "Xplorer Prize" (Science Exploration Award). In the same year, he was elected a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU).

Experience

Forum on Science & Technology Cooperation and Sustainable Development in the Global South (Addis Ababa)

Had the great pleasure and honour to host this forum on behalf of Tsinghua University. Coordinated the signing of MoUs between Tsinghua University and both Mekelle University and Addis Ababa University to promote collaborative research on climate change and energy transformation.

113th Tsinghua Forum Lecture by Lord Patrick Vallance

Hosted Lord Patrick Vallance, UK Minister of State for Science, Innovation and Research, at the Tsinghua Institute for Carbon Neutrality. He delivered a lecture titled “UK–China Science Collaboration in an Era of Global Challenges,” which highlighted the strategic Tsinghua-UCL partnership.

China-Sweden Green and Sustainable Innovation Forum

UCL Special Seminar with Prof. Denise Mauzerall (Princeton)

Second African Climate Summit & Delegation Visit to Ethiopia

Hosted this special seminar at the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, UCL, featuring Professor Denise Mauzerall.

As Deputy Director of Tsinghua Institute for Carbon Neutrality, represented Tsinghua on a visit to Addis Ababa. Activities included attending the Summit, engaging in exchanges on climate change and carbon accounting, and visiting diplomatic and corporate partners.

Attended and presented on “Carbon Neutrality and Energy System Transformation (CNEST)” at this forum in Sweden. His talk outlined decarbonization research for high-energy systems and emphasized the role of interdisciplinary collaboration.

UK-China Dialogue on Priorities in Carbon Neutrality and Clean Growth

High-Level Seminar of the Centre Franco-Chinois de Neutralité Carbone

Seminar on UK-China Research & Innovation Priorities (at UCL)

CNEST Climate Change Systems Science Workshop

High-Level Visit from British Ambassador to China

Organised and hosted this high-level dialogue at Tsinghua University, jointly with UCL and supported by the British Embassy Beijing. The event convened over 100 representatives during UK Secretary of State Ed Miliband's visit.

Hosted HMA Dame Caroline Wilson at the Tsinghua Institute for Carbon Neutrality. Discussed deepening UK-China collaboration models, such as the Tsinghua-UCL partnership, to lead global climate research.

Hosted this workshop at Tsinghua Institute for Carbon Neutrality, focusing on next-generation climate science and enhancing EU-China collaboration.

Presented on “Priorities for Research and Innovation Collaborations in Climate Change and Carbon Neutrality between the UK and China” at The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, UCL.

Hosted this high-level discussion seminar at Tsinghua Institute for Carbon Neutrality, commemorating the 60th anniversary of China-France diplomatic relations.

UCL Special Seminar with Prof. Denise Mauzerall (Princeton)

Nature Conference on Air Pollution and Climate Change

Co-organized and hosted this Nature Conference in Beijing together with the Nature portfolio.

Hosted this special seminar at the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, UCL, featuring Professor Denise Mauzerall.

Dr. Qun Yang

Qun is the Chief Operating Officer and one of the founding members of the GEB Foundation. As a seasoned entrepreneur and financier, she brings over two decades of experience in financial markets and businesses to the management team. An ACA-qualified accountant, Qun gained her financial knowledge from working for Deloitte, Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank. She led the Model and Methodology team for the carbon emission trading desk at Deutsche Bank and was responsible for drafting the valuation policy. Qun later co-founded Biorbyt Ltd, a Cambridge-based Biotech company, which received the Queens' Award for Enterprise in 2021. Qun is recognised as the top businesswoman in the UK by receiving multiple awards, including the "National Business Women Award".

Experience

Launch of Queens' College Cambridge Entrepreneurship Society and Announcement of Entrepreneurial Competitions

The Queens' Entrepreneurship Society at Queens' College, Cambridge was officially launched, introducing two new entrepreneurial competitions: the QES Prize Competition and the Melete Scholarship for Social Entrepreneurship. As a sponsor, Dr. Qun Yang, Co-founder of the UK biotech company Biorbyt, was invited to the opening ceremony as a keynote speaker. In her address, she shared her personal entrepreneurial journey, emphasized the critical importance of bridging academia and industry, and encouraged young students to innovate boldly, utilizing the competition platforms to transform scientific ideas into commercially viable ventures with social impact.

"Win in Suzhou & Create the Future" International Entrepreneurial Competition (UK Division Final)

The UK division final of this international competition was successfully held in London, concluding the annual series and attracting over 80 innovative startup projects from the UK and surrounding regions. Invited as a representative judge, Dr. Qun Yang, in her dual capacity as a Fellow of Queens' College, Cambridge and a successful entrepreneur, delivered a speech. She shared her understanding and reflections on entrepreneurship, drawing on her own entrepreneurial roots in Suzhou, and emphasized the core values of market insight, team resilience, and an international perspective for startups.

Research Collaboration Survey on Infectious Diseases between University of Cambridge and Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital

Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) China Forum

Queens' College, Cambridge Distinguished Alumni Exchange Meeting

The SMI China Forum, initiated by King Charles III, was held in Beijing under the theme "Co-building Sustainable Markets, Co-planning High-Quality Development". The forum gathered members of the SMI Global and China Councils, international organizations, business leaders, and academics. Dr. Qun Yang, Founder of Biorbyt, was invited by the China Chamber of International Commerce and SMI to be a guest speaker at the "Sustainable Health Systems" roundtable. Drawing on her experience in the biotech sector, she discussed the innovative role and responsibility of the private sector in driving the sustainable transformation of global health systems and addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.

Dr. Qun Yang was invited to participate in the Distinguished Alumni Exchange Meeting at Queens' College, Cambridge, in recognition of her status as an outstanding alumna. The event brought together accomplished graduates from various industries worldwide to share experiences, reconnect with academic traditions, and strengthen the alumni network.

Professor Clare Bryant from the Cambridge University School of Clinical Medicine, Dr. Qun Yang (President of the UK Jiangxi General Chamber of Commerce & Co-founder of Biorbyt), and Director Lei Hao from the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology conducted a joint survey at Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital. The delegation focused on investigating the hospital's developments and infrastructure in infectious disease research.