Zhang, Jianyu helped found EDF’s China program. Since 1999, he has been responsible for its overall management, from goal setting and running programs to developing partnerships and fundraising. He is currently the longest-serving active head of all known foreign organizations’ China programs. Our success in China led to EDF becoming the first officially registered foreign environmental NGO in China under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, following the final approval of China’s foreign NGO law, effective January 1, 2017.

Being an expert on environmental and public policies, with a focus on the application of Market-Based Instruments (MBIs) in solving environmental problems, Zhang is known for his leadership and contribution to the establishment of China’s Carbon Trading System, the largest of its kind in the world. He has authored many peer-reviewed articles, columns and book chapters, and is a frequent commentator on environmental issues in the media in China.

Zhang serves on many advisory boards, including the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES) and the China-ASEAN Environmental Cooperation Center, and is a special advisor for the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED). He is a visiting fellow with the School of Public Policy and Management of Tsinghua University, as well as a visiting professor with the School of Environment and Energy, Peking University.