Striving for a better tomorrow
Print Edition
American-born Chinese Peggy Liu has devoted herself to making the world a better place. From her base in Shanghai, she heads a volunteer organization of top Chinese influencers and international experts to collaborate on improving the way China creates and uses energy.
The MIT graduate with a major in electrical engineering and computer science has worked for McKinsey, several Silicon Valley companies and in venture capital. As a founder of the NGO Joint US-China Cooperation on Clean Energy (JUCCCE), Liu has been lauded a “Hero of the Environment” and one of the top people shaping the future of the US-China relationship.
“To be honest, I didn’t found JUCCCE with much professional knowledge about energy or environment protection,” says Liu. “But I’ve leveraged a lot of experiences from my former careers to learn how to build movements and change complex systems.”
Liu’s “Chinese Dream” is to transform China into an environmentally sustainable and livable place that Chinese can be proud of. Over the past eight years, JUCCCE has introduced smart electricity grid to China, trained more than 900 government officials on how to build sustainable cities and promoted greener lifestyles in a “Chinese Dream” program.
Liu says JUCCCE is now working on two new projects — “A New Way to Eat” and “China Gateway.”
“A New Way to Eat” teaches kids how to eat in a way that is good for them and good for the planet. In development is a new eating framework, primary school food curriculum and healthy lunch menus for China.
“Did you know that our food system is the single biggest driver of greenhouse gas emissions?” she asks. “Simply changing the way kids and parents eat can make a difference to climate change.”
The program’s first class on sugary drinks and healthy alternatives was taught in YK Pao School’s Food Tech classes in 2013. Liu says JUCCCE has worked with Chartwells school lunch provider and local chefs to develop a menu of nutritious lunches that meet school budgets. The first recipes, introduced in December at YK Pao School, have proven popular with both kids and parents.
“China Gateway” is designed to create trusted personal relationships between China and foreign countries at a high level — a skill JUCCCE has been honing since its founding as the first public dialogues between the US and Chinese government on clean energy.
“Sustainability is a much broader topic than one discipline can solve, or one country can handle. Trust opens the door for cross-border problem solving. Only through cultural diplomacy can we lay a foundation for successful climate diplomacy, foreign diplomacy and responsible trade.”
“In recent years China has done so much to restructure and improve the energy sector and reduce pollution, but many people, even Chinese, know nothing about it,” says the California native. “So we expect to be a bridge between China and other countries, letting people know about China’s intentions while seeking better collaboration.”
Liu has lived in Shanghai for a decade and says other family members have established businesses here, so naturally she chose the city when she relocated to China. In her eyes, Shanghai combines Eastern and Western cultures. She sees big changes in the city over the 10 years, including the food, the fashion, the living environment and the way people think.
“Shanghai people are very good at absorbing good things from other cultures and then localizing the best aspects,” she says. “And I think they are among the most open-minded people in China.”
Liu says apart from work, she expects to raise her sons, who are now in grade-4 and grade-6, as good global citizens who take care of society.
“They have both an Eastern and Western background, and they speak both Mandarin and English,” she says. “As cultural bridges, they will be uniquely positioned to lead through collaboration, rather than conflict.”
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