Zhang found the China program of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). From 1999 to 2021, he had been responsible for the establishment and overall management of EDF China program. He is the longest-serving chief representative of all known foreign organizations’ China programs. EDF China program’s success led to EDF becoming the first officially registered foreign Environmental NGO in China in 2017, following the promulgation of China’s foreign NGO law effective on January 1st, 2017.
Zhang also helped found and manage the first professional Joint Venture environmental consulting firm in China. He served as China project manager for the Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA) implementing the first Sino-US environmental cooperation projects from 1998 to 1999.
Zhang is a Fellow of the prestigious Aspen China Fellowship program and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. He has served as board directors of China-based publicly traded companies and advisory board members of Fortune 500 companies. Zhang is an executive board director of CANGO (China Association for International NGO Cooperation).
Being an expert on environmental and public policies, with a focus on the application of Market-Based Instruments (MBIs) in solving environmental problems, Zhang is known for his leadership and contribution to the establishment of China’s Carbon Trading System, the largest in the world. Zhang is the author of the upcoming epic of “China Emissions Trading” and has authored many peer-reviewed articles, columns, book chapters and a frequent commentator on environmental issues in China. Zhang is a special advisor of CCICED (China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development) and leads its south-south cooperation special policy study.
Zhang got his advanced degrees from Tsinghua University, Stanford University, and Carnegie Mellon University. He recently completed his second Ph.D. study in Finance from the Chinese Academy of Social Science.
张建宇是环境和公共政策领域的资深专家，专注于市场手段在解决环境问题中的应用，深度全程参与了中国二氧化硫交易市场和全国碳市场的建设工作。张建宇是诸多同行评议文章，专栏，书籍的作者，并经常在媒体上发表对于环境问题的评论。
张建宇是美国环保协会中国项目的开创者，并一直全权负责中国项目的运营（1999年至2021年）。他曾协助建立并参与管理了中国第一家专业化的中外合资环境咨询公司，并曾作为美国空气和固体废弃物协会（AWMA）代表，参与并执行了最早的中美环境双边合作项目。
张建宇是阿斯彭(ASPEN）研究所中国英才计划成员，阿斯彭全球领导力网络成员。他是中国国际民间组织合作促进会的常务理事，清华大学公共管理学院客座研究员，中国环境与发展国际合作委员特邀顾问。 他曾担任上市公司独立董事及全球知名企业的董事会顾问。
张建宇教育履历包括清华大学学士，斯坦福大学硕士，卡耐基梅隆大学工程与公共政策和中国社会科学院金融学博士研究生。