Hank Paulson Starts Climate-Change Program to Fund Research

Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is starting a climate-change program through his Chicago-based think tank to fund research and advocate for more aggressive environmental action.

The Paulson Institute’s initiative will begin this month in Beijing and bring together Chinese and international specialists to share strategies on reducing the country’s air pollution and identify ways to measure compliance with government targets, the group said in a statement yesterday.

“It’s very, very important that we get traction on this,” Paulson said in an interview.  “There’s a lot to be done.”

Ellen Carberry, founder and managing director of the Beijing-based China Greentech Initiative, will direct the program, seeking “practical and pragmatic solutions to the problems of air pollution and climate change.”

Carberry, a former IBM Corp. executive will oversee research, demonstration projects, and advocacy aimed at addressing climate change and air pollution, the institute said.

Paulson, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a trip to China in July, said Chinese leaders are determined to act on environmental issues.

Cleaning up China’s air also will benefit Americans because airborne pollutants ride the jet stream to the U.S., Paulson said.

Hank Paulson Starts Climate-Change Program to Fund Research