A side event on "Synergy of Pollution Reduction and Carbon Reduction: Achieving a Win-Win Situation for Environment, Climate and Economic Benefits" was held
Recently, during the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), a side event with the theme of "Synergy in Pollution Reduction and Carbon Reduction: Achieving a Win-Win Situation in Environment, Climate and Economic Benefits" was successfully held in the China Corner. Zhao Yingmin, head of the Chinese delegation to the COP28 climate change negotiations and vice minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, attended the meeting and delivered a speech.
As the world's largest developing country, China adheres to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, takes the path of green and low-carbon development, takes carbon reduction as the "bull's nose" of source governance, implements coordinated governance of pollution reduction and carbon reduction, and adopts a series of policies and measures to promote the green transformation of economic and social development and the continuous improvement of the ecological environment, and has achieved positive results. In recent years, while maintaining rapid economic growth, China has achieved continuous improvement in the quality of the ecological environment and a significant reduction in carbon emission intensity, and China's practice has shown that reducing pollution and carbon emissions is an effective measure to promote the green transformation of economic and social development. China's practice and exploration of synergies in pollution and carbon reduction have provided developing countries with a collaborative governance model for pollution and carbon reduction, and injected new impetus into global green development.
Tian Chengchuan, Director of the Publicity and Education Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Zou Ji, CEO and President of Energy Foundation China, Gunter Pauli, founder of the "Blue Economy" model and founder of the Zero Emission Research and Innovation Foundation, and a tenured professor at the Politecnico di Torino in Italy, and Michael Walsh, Founding Chairman of the International Council on Clean Transportation Walsh), Jiang Hongqi, Deputy Director General of Guangdong Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, You Wuwei, Deputy Secretary-General of Ningbo Municipal People's Government of Zhejiang Province, and Sun Guangbin, Senior Vice President of JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd., delivered keynote speeches.
In his keynote speech, Tian Chengchuan pointed out that China is in a stage of development, and the synergy of pollution reduction and carbon reduction has become the general starting point for promoting the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. The mission and education center undertook the research on the synergy of pollution reduction and carbon reduction, carried out research and capacity building on typical cases and demonstration technologies of synergy in pollution reduction and carbon reduction at the city, industry and enterprise levels, put forward the principles of strengthening target synergy, highlighting innovation and leadership, adhering to low-carbon and clean, encouraging pilot and first, and focusing on cost effectiveness, and put forward suggestions for the specific work of synergy in pollution reduction and carbon reduction in the power, steel, petrochemical and cement industries.
In his speech, Zou Ji pointed out that over the past decade, China's air quality has improved significantly through strict clean air measures, decoupling economic development from pollution emissions. Unlike developed countries, which reduce pollution first and then decarbonize, China has made concerted efforts to reduce pollution and carbon emissions, and has seen it as a major opportunity to promote the low-carbon transformation of its energy, industry, and transportation structure.
Mr. Gunter Pauli's vivid story of the green, low-carbon "stone paper" at the meeting can reduce energy consumption by 67%. Gaunt Bowley devotes himself to promoting the solution of environmental problems in a zero-waste, zero-pollution and low-cost way, and pursues the sustainable development of human society and natural ecology. He is an advocate of the blue economy and is committed to applying the excellence of ecosystems to economic systems, such as building buildings without air conditioning after termite nests, and learning how desert beetles collect water to solve the freshwater crisis.
Mr. Michael Walsh praised China's achievements in the field of green transportation, emphasizing the relationship between urban motor vehicle pollution reduction and climate change, and the need to accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles to promote transportation energy efficiency, improve air quality, mitigate climate change, and protect human health.
Based on the goal of building a high-quality development demonstration site in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangdong will work with Hong Kong and Macao to jointly build a synergistic management system for pollution reduction and carbon reduction with the characteristics of the Bay Area, actively promote the green and low-carbon transformation of production and lifestyle, and contribute Guangdong's wisdom and strength to building a clean and beautiful world. You Wuwei, Deputy Secretary-General of Ningbo Municipal People's Government in Zhejiang Province, shared Ningbo's innovative experience in tapping marine blue carbon resources to promote ecological common prosperity. In recent years, Ningbo has given full play to its advantages in marine resources, actively participated in global climate governance, dug deep into the potential of marine carbon sinks, adhered to the joint development and utilization of marine resources and ecological environmental protection, and strived to provide a "Ningbo sample" story for practicing the "dual carbon" policy and exploring common prosperity.
Sun Guangbin said that under the wave of global energy transition and climate change response and the in-depth promotion of China's "dual carbon" strategy, JA Solar has elevated the green and low-carbon concept to a new level of corporate strategic development, and continued to contribute to the global "carbon emission reduction" and the realization of China's "dual carbon" goal.
Shen Yuan, Vice President of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group and General Manager of Collaborative Innovation Center, Liao Zengtai, Chairman of Wanhua Chemical, and Zhai Yubo, General Manager of Energy Chain Carbon Neutrality Division, shared practical cases of pollution reduction and carbon reduction carried out by enterprises in typical industries.
At the meeting, the Publicity and Education Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment also released the "Demonstration Manual of Synergistic Technologies for Pollution Reduction and Carbon Reduction in Key Industries" and the "2023 Collection of Typical Cases of Synergy in Pollution and Carbon Reduction".
Representatives from Chinese and foreign regions, cities, enterprises, social organizations, research institutions, and universities conducted in-depth exchanges and discussions on the topic of synergy in pollution reduction and carbon reduction, with a view to forming more feasible technical solutions and innovative development models, achieving a win-win situation of environmental, climate, and economic benefits, and contributing China's wisdom to building a clean and beautiful world.
