On May 8, the "China Carbon Neutrality Forum" co-hosted by the Institute of Global Development of Tsinghua University, China Academy of New Supply-side Economics, Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, Beijing CSC Science & Technology Development Foundation was established in Beijing. The forum's establishment aims to implement the "carbon peak and carbon neutrality" action plan in depth. The first group of forum members consisted of leaders from the eco-environmental protection circle, economic and financial sector, and industrial and technological community in China. They jointly issued The Beijing Declaration on "Promoting China's Comprehensive Green Transformation" at the forum. In addition, the forum received guidance and support from the Climate Change Department of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University.

Green transformation, construct ecological civilization

At China’s Two Sessions this year, achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality was included in the government work report for the first time. On April 22, President Xi Jinping mentioned in his speech at the "Leaders' Climate Summit" that China has incorporated carbon peak and carbon neutrality into the plan of ecological civilization construction. "Under this background, the establishment of the 'China Carbon NeutralityForum' in the Tsinghua School of Economics and Management is of great significance." Bai Chongen, Dean of the School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University, said in his speech.

The National Development and Reform Commission is currently studying and formulating a specific action plan for carbon peaking by 2030, reasonably determining the peaking targets for major fields and critical industries, and organizing the implementation of several actions. Under the carbon peaking action plan framework, a series of implementation plans for coal, electricity, steel, petrochemical, chemical, non-ferrous metals, building materials, construction, transportation, migrant workers, agriculture, and new rural infrastructure have been formulated. Du Xiangwan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and member of the National Committee of Experts on Climate Change, proposed that the achievement of carbon peaks and carbon neutrality goals will bring a series of economic and social progress and will give birth to new technologies, new energy, new industries, new transportation, new buildings, and new investments.

Technology first, promote low-carbon development

At present, nearly 120 countries worldwide have proposed carbon neutrality targets, covering more than 65% of global carbon dioxide emissions and accounting for more than 70% of the world's economic scale. Carbon neutrality has become a global consensus. Most of China's export trade is carbon-intensive export-oriented enterprises. Carbon tariffs will bring new challenges to such enterprises, and there is an urgent need for enterprises to implement green and low-carbon transformation and reduce product carbon emissions. Wang Guangyu, chairman of the China Academy of New Supply-side Economics, one of the hosts of the forum, pointed out that the core of solving the carbon problem requires technological breakthroughs, whether it is in energy technology, industrial manufacturing technology, or carbon emissions from power generation and transportation, only breakthroughs in core technologies and innovations in key technologies can truly reduce the total amount of carbon.

In the China Carbon Neutrality Forum, a number of outstanding entrepreneurs from energy companies have gathered, hoping to start with the technological innovation of enterprises and promote the energy revolution. Fu Chengyu, an energy expert, former chairman of the China Sinopec Group, and party secretary, said: "Our achievement of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality is a broad and profound economic and social systemic change. Therefore, it is not only carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, but it is also a systematic economic and social change."

Wang Jinnan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Dean of the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, and member of the National Committee of Experts on Climate Change, said that to achieve the goal of "carbon neutrality," a clear carbon peak and carbon neutrality technological approachneeds to be determined. The China Carbon Neutrality Forum was established to build consensus in this wave of technological revolution, fully tap the resources of all sectors of society, promote system construction, form policy synergy, and promote industrial action.

Synergetic development, implement the "Double Carbon Targets"

Fu Chengyu, an energy expert, former chairman of the China Sinopec Group, and party secretary, said that "carbon neutrality" is a challenge in China. Still, the real difficulty is not in the technical or economic fields but the awareness of "carbon neutrality." On the day of the forum, the China Carbon Neutrality Forum announced the "Beijing Declaration on Promoting China's Comprehensive Green Transformation Plan", promise to actively respond to and cooperate with the Chinese government's low-carbon commitments on environmental protection; promise to set corporate emission reduction targets and corporate climate change strategies, conduct long-term guidance about the development direction of enterprises; promise to work hard to improve people's resource and energy utilization efficiency in the process of production and consumption, and increase the proportion of renewable energy in the energy structure.

The declaration calls for: all forces worldwide to work together to achieve global carbon neutrality and build a community of life for man and nature as a win-win cooperation. Urge all countries to develop an effective global climate policy framework and establish a global environmental governance coordination mechanism involving governments, businesses, and all sectors of society.

Jia Kang, Head of China New Supply-side Economics and former Director of the Research Institute of Fiscal Science, Ministry of Finance, emphasized in his speech that in meeting challenges, we should create and seize opportunities, reduce costs, and mitigate the pressure in production and life caused by "green premium." Create a high-quality new pattern in the development of China's domestic cycle as the main body and mutual promotion of internal and external cycles towards the pathway of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Today's official establishment of the China Carbon Neutrality Forum will be a new positive factor for achieving the two carbon goals.

At the forum, Pan Jiahua, member of the National Committee of Experts on Climate Change and Director of the Research Center for Sustainable Development, Zhang Xinsheng, Chairman of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Peng Wensheng, Chief Economist of China International Capital Corporation, Liu Xiaoqi, Party Secretary and Chairman of China Energy Guohua Energy Investment Co., Ltd. and China Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd., and Tian Ming, Chairman of Landsea Holding Group, gave wonderful speeches respectively, expressing their willingness to gather all-around advantages in learning, research, production, and financing to build the forum as a high-quality practice platform to promote the implementation of the "Double Carbon Targets."