The founder of PricewaterhouseCoopers' (PwC's) sustainability and climate change team in China has relocated to London, in a move designed to boost trade links with the UK and help Chinese companies bolster their green management strategies.

PwC's UK Sustainability and Climate Change team this week confirmed it has been joined for a two-year secondment by Allan Zhang, who established the sustainability practice six years ago in its Beijing office.

Speaking to BusinessGreen, Zhang said the secondment would help him to learn about new services that could be adapted for the Chinese arm of the business, specifically around the development of green strategies, supply chain management plans, and improved carbon disclosure.

"In China we're strong on environmental due diligence, we do a lot of Clean Development Mechanism [UN-approved carbon offset] projects and measuring of carbon footprints, but now we want to expand the business to include more areas like green strategy," he said.

He added that the number of Chinese firms taking steps to curb their environmental impact is limited because of the lack of mandatory green regulations.

"The main barrier is from China itself," he said. "Nearly everything is voluntary so there's no legal obligation for a company to do something. You need to talk to people and try to convince them this is something worth investing in."

However, he added that there is a gradual shift towards mandatory reporting rules, driven by financial and industry watchdogs, such as the state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) and the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC).

"It's definitely a rapidly developing market with growing requirements from clients."

Zhang added that he also planned to help boost trade between UK and Chinese clean tech companies.

Malcolm Preston, PwC global lead sustainability and climate change, said the move comes at a critical point in the climate change and sustainability agenda for China and the green businesses operating there.

"The 12th Five Year Plan was a clear indication that the pace is picking up on environmental and sustainability issues," he said. "With the scale of their economic growth and impact, it will move the issues to the heart of national and global competitiveness for businesses operating in China."

Source: www.businessgreen.com

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