The 2023 (4th) International Carbon Neutrality and Green Investment Conference, an important supporting activity held annually during the China International Import Expo, kicked off on Wednesday in Shanghai.

Hosted by the Investment Association of China, the event invited experts, scholars, and representatives of research institutes, international organizations and leading companies from around the world to share their insights under the theme of "Jointly Building the 'Belt and Road' to Create a Vision of Zero Carbon".

Shi Yubo, former deputy director of the National Energy Administration and chairman of the China Energy Research Association, said the construction of a low-carbon energy system is a pivotal link in realizing green development and the "dual-carbon" goals.

"Countries along the Belt and Road possess abundant solar and wind energy resources, while China takes the lead in terms of industrial foundation, equipment manufacturing capacity, and technological innovation in the field of renewable energy," he said, suggesting the Belt and Road countries and China join hands in the renewable energy sector, in pursuit of mutually beneficial cooperation that leads to shared development.

Zhang Yonggui, secretary general of China Investment Association, said the association proposed the Zero Carbon China initiative four years ago, dedicated to exploring and implementing China's solution to achieving the "dual-carbon" goals. The initiative has evolved from a mere concept to concrete actions, expanding its application scope and attracting increasing participation from various entities.

Since 2020, the China Investment Association has published a series of Zero-Carbon China blue books and released a number of evaluation standards for zero-carbon parks, zero-carbon factories, and zero-carbon data centers, he said.

During this year's conference, 11 pilot projects for the zero-carbon park standard, 8 for zero-carbon factory standard, and 9 for zero-carbon village standard, as well as a blue book named Zero Carbon China: Bio-natural Gas were released to provide more specific and scientifically-based guidance for the development of zero-carbon cities.

The top ten innovative technologies for Zero Carbon China were also released at the event, including the Mingyang Smart Energy MySE18MW offshore wind turbine, automatic carbon electrode hydrolyzing technology for hydrogen production from wind, light and electric sources, and the hydrogen energy carbon nanotube catalyst and membrane electrode industrialization technology.

"We will continue to expand our efforts in carrying out standards for various zero-carbon application scenarios, contributing our wisdom and strength to realize the goal of achieving carbon neutrality," Zhang said.

To facilitate international cooperation, the conference also featured keynote speeches around the topic of International Cooperation on Carbon Neutrality and Green Investment, and a high-level dialogue focusing on international business collaboration on green investments, industry development and supply chain management.