Sino-German Co-Operation on Decarbonising Freight Transport

To meet international climate targets, decarbonising China’s transport sector is a key lever. Within the sector, measures in road freight transport are particularly pressing. Electrification of medium and heavy-duty vehicles is still in its infancy and the full potential of intermodality remains untapped. The project has three components. International exchange between Chinese, German and international stakeholders and decision makers serves as an umbrella for two components on decarbonising long-haul and urban freight. The experience gained in the activities on long-haul and urban freight decarbonisation will in turn enrich the international exchange. The exchange will allow for the sharing of lessons learnt on regional, national and international level, as well as during study tours. Through dialogue, formulation of more ambitious policies and field-testing actions, China is able to strengthen its long-term, multi-stakeholder freight transport decarbonisation strategy.

Project data

Countries: China
IKI funding: 3,800,000.00 €
Duration: 08/2024 till 08/2027
Status: open
Implementing organisation: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Political Partner: Ministry of Transport (MoT) - China
Implementing Partner: Agora Think Tanks gGmbH

Transport Planning and Research Institute (TPRI)

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State of implementation/results

In May 2025, Suzhou - Shanghai has been selected as case study freight corridor to develop a roadmap for a zero-emission freight corridor.
In April 2025, Suzhou was selected as case study region for developing recommendations on policies and measures for zero-emission urban freight.
In April 2025, together with the Sino-German Climate Partnership project , GIZ organised the fifth edition of the NextGen Climate Dialogues lecture series at Beijing Transport University. The event facilitated exchanges on climate challenges and empowered future academic leaders and practitioners with insights from Agora Verkehrswende and the German Environment Agency (UBA) to advance policy innovation and transformation in freight transport.
In April 2025, GIZ and the Global Sustainable Transport Knowledge and Innovation Center jointly established a multi-stakeholder Working Group on Decarbonising Freight Transport in China to consult Chinese and German industry representatives on their requirements for policies and incentives to accelerate decarbonization of the sector.
The official kick-off event took place on 1 April 2025 in Beijing.
In March 2025, the project delivered a gender sensitization training for the Chinese Transport Planning and Research Institute, enhancing awareness and capacity to apply gender-responsive perspectives into freight transport planning and research.

Latest Update:
12/2025