Dr Zhang Jianyu is currently the Executive Director of the BRI Green Development Institute, the research arm of the BRI International Green Development Coalition (BRIGC). Prior to this role, he held the position of Vice President at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), where he was instrumental in establishing EDF’s China programme. EDF China programme’s success led to EDF becoming the first officially registered foreign Environmental NGO in China under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, following the promulgation of China’s foreign NGO law effective in January 2017. With extensive experience in environmental and public policy, he has notably contributed to the establishment of China’s Carbon Trading System – the largest in the world. In addition to his primary role, Dr Zhang sits on the executive board of the China Association for International NGO Cooperation (CANGO) and has held board director positions with China-based publicly traded companies. Furthermore, he’s an advisory board member for several organisations, including the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES) and China-ASEAN Environmental Cooperation Center. His past roles include leading the first professional Joint Venture environmental consulting firm and serving as China Program Advisor for the Air and Waste Management Association. Dr Zhang’s academic background includes degrees from Tsinghua University, Stanford University, and Carnegie Mellon University, along with a PhD in Finance from the Chinese Academy of Social Science.