Green Empowerment, Low-Carbon Symbiosis: Beijing Green Development Forum 2026 Grandly Opens at Beijing Municipal Administrative Center
BEIJING, Sept. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On September 17, the Beijing Green Development Forum 2026, themed “Green Empowerment, Low-Carbon Symbiosis”, grandly kicked off at Beijing Municipal Administrative Center (BMC). Hosted by Asia Data Group and organized by ADG Expo Group, it has received strong backing from its Global Honorary Partner Huaxia Bank, strategic partner Beijing Energy Holding Co., Ltd., as well as internationally authoritative institutions including the World Green Design Organization, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, the Center for China & Globalization, and the Alliance of Global Talent Organizations. It has also been supported by substantial assistance from supporting units such as Europe Digital Group, Beijing Investment Group Co., Ltd., and Huanhui Real Estate. Positioned at the pivotal launch stage of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the forum is dedicated to advancing the implementation of the national dual carbon strategic deployment. It will focus on fostering green new quality productive forces, sharing best practices in modern sustainable development, and jointly exploring actionable pathways for green and low-carbon transition.
Nearly 400 domestic and international distinguished guests attended the grand opening ceremony of the forum, including Erik Solheim, Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and UN Environment Programme Executive Director, and Chair of Europe-Asia Center; Li Shuai, Deputy Director of the Department of Resource Conservation and Environmental Protection, National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC); Li Junjie, Executive Deputy Secretary of the CPC Working Committee and Executive Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center, and Secretary of the CPC Tongzhou District Committee; Li Xiaotao, Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform; Mohan Munasinghe, 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and Former Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); Ma Chaode, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in China, and Director of the Planet Pillar (Resources, Environment and Climate); Wang Zhonglin, Founding Director of the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Zhu Dongfang, President of Asia Data Group (ADG); Zhang Li, Co-President of ADG; and Qu Gang, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee and President of Huaxia Bank.
Also present at the event were senior leaders of central and local state-owned enterprises, representatives of municipal and district government departments, diplomats from foreign embassies in China, leaders from domestic universities, representatives of foreign-funded enterprises, industry experts, young talent representatives, and other guests from across the globe.
Evolving from the former Beijing Municipal Administrative Center Green Development Forum, this edition is closely aligned with the strategic positioning of building Beijing into an international benchmark city for green economy and developing BMC as a national green development demonstration zone. It has pioneered a market-oriented operation model, and follows the “2+3” core strategy: rooted in the tenet of “green as the foundation, smart technologies as the driving force” to build a high-quality green industry cooperation platform that is international, industry-oriented and accessible to the general public. The forum has also launched a “1+4+N” event framework, with a focus on building a high-level green development cooperation hub that integrates policy announcement, technology commercialization, industry empowerment, international cooperation and city image promotion. It aims to deliver three core outcomes: a globally interconnected cooperative ecosystem, a full-chain closed loop for industry implementation, and inclusive communication scenarios that are tangible and engaging for all citizens. Supported by digital-intelligent and low-carbon event services, and guided by a results-oriented and value-driven principle, the forum is designed to maximize its long-term impact by delivering year-round services despite its compact event schedule.
Joint Dialogue Between Chinese and International Stakeholders on Green Governance Charts Course for Global Low-Carbon Cooperation
At the opening ceremony, Erik Solheim, Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and UN Environment Programme Executive Director, and Chair of Europe-Asia Center, delivered an address in which he highly commended the remarkable progress made in improving Beijing’s ecological environment. He noted that, leveraging its well-developed rail transit system and widely adopted new-energy transport, Beijing has built a clean and livable green metropolis despite its massive population scale. He added that other domestic cities including Chengdu, Hangzhou and Shenzhen have also developed striking exemplary cases in ecological practice. Solheim expressed full endorsement of the philosophy that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”, pointing out that China’s green energy transition has enhanced its energy independence. He noted that the country’s green urban governance practices can provide valuable references for the sustainable development of cities worldwide, helping different regions explore development paths suited to their own conditions.
Landmark Outcomes Released On-site, Charting the Path for Urban Green Transition
At the opening ceremony, Li Xiaotao, Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, was the first to unveil the major progress in building Beijing into an international benchmark city for green economy. The release systematically presented the city’s practical experiences and phased achievements over the past two years across the five benchmark domains for the green economy benchmark city construction: green technology innovation, green industry cultivation, green and livable city development, green culture nurturing, and green cooperation featuring joint contribution and shared benefits. It also outlined the city’s development strategies and key priorities for the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
At the forum, Guo Kun, Deputy Head of the Department of Finance and Professor in the School of Economics and Management at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), unveiled the “Beijing Green Economy Development Blue Book (2026)”. Jointly released by UCAS and other institutions, the blue book offers a systematic assessment of Beijing’s green economy development in recent years, and analyzes the green development practices of benchmark cities including Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. It is designed to provide decision-making reference for Beijing’s drive to build itself into an international benchmark city for green economy, and contribute the “Beijing Solution” to the green development of global megacities.
Xu Ming, Chair Professor of Carbon Neutrality and Associate Dean, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, unveiled the report “Advancing the Urban Green Economy: Shared Insights from Global Cities”. Jointly released by Tsinghua University and experts from University College London, The City University of New York, Hiroshima University, and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, the report is grounded in the green economy practices of major cities including Beijing, London, New York, Paris and Tokyo. It systematically outlines the key pathways and common lessons drawn from cities’ efforts to advance green economy development, distilling a globally oriented shared understanding. The report aims to offer actionable reference for cities worldwide to accelerate green transition and advance the comprehensive greening of their own economic and social development.
The “Beijing Initiative on Standards-Led Urban Green Transition” was officially unveiled. It was jointly released by over 20 units including the United Nations Environment Programme, World Green Design Organization, Center for China & Globalization, China National Institute of Standardization, China Association for Standardization, Tsinghua University and Renmin University of China. With core objectives of forging consensus, deepening cooperation and aligning concerted action, the initiative highlights and leverages the foundational and leading role of standards in steering and regulating green development, promoting green technology innovation, and dismantling green trade barriers. It is structured around six priority directions:
- Bolstering foundational support through standards-led advancement;
- Advancing collaborative development in a systematic and coordinated way;
- Harnessing technology to power innovation-driven development;
- Fostering efficient cross-sectoral coordination and collaboration;
- Advancing open cooperation and mutual recognition of mutually compatible standards;
- Encouraging multi-stakeholder engagement for inclusive governance and shared benefits.
The initiative calls for integrating standardization into the top-level design of urban green development, advancing synergistic innovation across technology and standards, deepening mutual recognition of international standards, and mobilizing all sectors of society to participate in urban carbon peaking and carbon neutrality efforts.
Fertile Ground Fostered for Green Industry Development, Unleashing Momentum for Low-Carbon Innovation
Li Junjie, Executive Deputy Secretary of the CPC Working Committee and Executive Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center, and Secretary of the CPC Tongzhou District Committee, delivered a keynote presentation on BMC’s efforts to build a national green development demonstration zone. He noted that BMC has delivered a series of practical outcomes across six green development dimensions: ecological greenness, industrial greenness, urban construction greenness, green mobility, energy greenness, and cultural greenness. Looking ahead, BMC will launch the Beijing International Green Technology Concept Validation Center, which will focus on three priority frontier tracks, that is, advanced green energy and low-carbon environmental protection, new materials, and biomanufacturing. Serving as a full-chain support platform spanning the entire process from technology validation to business incubation, the center will bridge the “first kilometer” of advanced green technology commercialization, and extend sincere invitations for cooperation to universities, research institutes, innovation teams and enterprises across the globe.
The centralized signing ceremony for green projects in BMC was also held during the opening ceremony. More than ten benchmark projects with high green content and strong economic value are set to be implemented here, injecting new momentum into the construction of the national green development demonstration zone.
CATL is spearheading the development of a demonstration project for a zero-carbon and multi-dimensional coordinated transport operation system in the center. China Tiegong Investment & Construction Group Co., Ltd. is setting up a 100-million-yuan registered capital subsidiary here, and forming a strategic partnership with Tongzhou Urban Operation Group to build a green energy ecosystem. Holley Technology Ltd. has entered into a strategic partnership with Grand Canal (Beijing) Water Construction Investment Management Co., Ltd. to deliver a full-lifecycle water resource management solution for the center. Beitou Environment has teamed up with ToGeek to deploy AI to unlock the value of public building energy and carbon assets, catalyzing the accelerated agglomeration of the center’s green industry ecosystem.
CNNC Carbon Assets and EDF China are jointly exploring international mutual recognition of carbon emission accounting methodologies in the nuclear power sector in the center. The China Three Gorges Corporation Academy of Science and Technology will establish a new-type photovoltaic technology R&D, testing and experimental platform here. Beijing Luhe Hospital has partnered with Towngas Zongheng to develop a 1,000-tonne annual carbon reduction demonstration project for energy-saving retrofits of medical institutions. Beijing Chest Hospital is working with the Innovation Alliance on Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment (Beijing) to advance the technical upgrade of China’s first 8-meter all-electric CT mobile unit. RayKol Zhiyan will build China’s first intelligent soil laboratory in BMC. By synergizing cutting-edge technologies with abundant application scenarios, it aims to seize the commanding heights of green technology innovation.
Together with Huaxia Bank BMC Branch and the Europe-Asia Center, Asia Data Group leverages their complementary strengths to explore ways to drive synergies between technology-powered exhibitions and conventions and green finance. They also work together to build an international collaborative platform, enabling a new paradigm of green cooperation mechanisms to take root and bear fruit in BMC. The full slate of signed projects will further strengthen the foundational underpinning of the center’s green industry, injecting robust project-driven momentum into the construction of the national green development demonstration zone.
The opening ceremony also hosted the award presentation for the 2026 Beijing Green Development Role Models. Launched on June 15, the selection campaign followed a rigorous multi-stage process that included nomination and submission by eligible organizations, multiple rounds of expert evaluation, and public disclosure for social oversight. Candidates were assessed against a four-dimensional evaluation framework covering contemporaneity, innovation, representativeness, and demonstrative value. Ultimately, 10 exemplars were selected from a large pool of nominees.
In-depth Deliberations at Main Forum, with Digital Innovation Co-shaping a Low-Carbon Future
Following the opening ceremony, the forum moved into the main forum session for in-depth deliberations. The forum innovatively rolled out its AI virtual host, Weiran, a novel initiative that seamlessly blends cutting-edge digital technologies with the forum’s green development theme, fully demonstrating a new low-carbon forum operational model driven by digital-physical synergy.
In the keynote speech segment, 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Former Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Mohan Munasinghe delivered a speech themed “Smart, Sustainable and Low-Carbon Development – China’s Leading Role”. He noted that global climate governance requires coordinated efforts to address intertwined challenges including climate change and poverty alleviation, grounded in the tripartite model of coordinated economic, social and environmental development, to advance an inclusive green growth paradigm. He praised China’s high-quality practices in green transition, pointing out that the global economic center of gravity is shifting toward Asia, which is well-positioned to lead the global advancement of ecological civilization. Invoking the three core principles of prosperity, well-being and peace, he called on all stakeholders to join hands in building a sustainable future.
He Kebin, Dean of the Institute for Carbon Neutrality and Professor at the School of Environment, Tsinghua University, delivered a speech themed “Green High-Quality Development and Actions towards the Dual Carbon Goals”. He proposed a five-pronged coordinated carbon management framework to advance China’s dual carbon goals, which integrates parallel pathways: resource-based carbon reduction, energy-focused carbon curtailment, geological carbon storage, ecological carbon sequestration, and market-driven carbon financing. He also stressed that technological innovation should serve as the core driver of industrial restructuring. Citing the construction of Beijing as a national green benchmark city as a case in point, he called for broadening pathways for generalized greening, empowering new quality productive forces via green transition, and achieving coordinated advancement across carbon reduction, pollution control, ecological greening, and economic growth.
Wang Zhonglin, Founding Director and Chief Scientist of the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 2023 Global Energy Prize Laureate, 2019 Albert Einstein World Award of Science Laureate, and 2018 Eni Award (widely regarded as the “Nobel Prize of Energy”) Laureate, delivered a keynote speech themed “High-Entropy Energy in the Internet of Things Era”. He proposed that green and sustainable development hinges on engineered core technologies, and called for nurturing original and innovative technologies through policy guidance and dedicated investment, to provide core underpinning for both green development and the advancement of the Internet of Things.
Liu Shijin, Chinese Chief Advisor of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), and Former Vice President of the Development Research Center of the State Council, shared his insights via video presentation on the topic of “Advancing the Assessment and Implementation of China’s ‘Dual Carbon’ Goals Through Green Economic Accounting”. He pointed out that green technology innovation has dispelled the long-held misconception that low-carbon development and economic growth are inherently contradictory, and that green transition is capable of reshaping the fundamental drivers of economic growth. He also commended Beijing’s pioneering explorations in the field of green economic accounting, and put forward three targeted recommendations: first, refining an accounting framework tailored to dual carbon assessment requirements; second, supporting localized zonal pilot programs across different regions; and third, advancing the institutionalization of green economic accounting practices. These measures aim to facilitate the effective implementation of dual carbon assessment systems, and foster scalable best practices for wider adoption.
Qu Gang, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee and President of Huaxia Bank, delivered a themed presentation titled “Channeling the Vital Force of Green Finance to Advance Innovative Green Development Practices”. He shared the bank’s green finance achievements and practical experiences along top-level design, product innovation, international cooperation, ESG management, and empowering the green transition of the capital city. He noted that green finance has been designated as one of the bank’s two core operational strengths in its new strategic planning period. Looking ahead, he stated that the bank will stay true to its original green mission, continuously drive financial innovation, deepen multi-party collaboration, and contribute to the building of a Beautiful China and the development of Beijing as an international benchmark city for green economy.
Industrial Deliberations Explore Pathways for Shared Global Green Integration
The closing roundtable dialogue of the main forum, themed “Green Transformation • Cooperation, Innovation and Inclusiveness”, was moderated by Zhang Li, Co-President of ADG. The panel comprises four distinguished guests: Shruti Narayan, Managing Director of Regions and Mayoral Engagement, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group; Humberto Collado, Commercial Counselor of the Embassy of Nicaragua in China; Liu Xin, Head of China Business Development and Director of Arup; and Valérie Cécile Salviac, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of EDF China.
The roundtable dialogue centered on the development imbalance challenges facing global green transition, and explored the difficulties and win-win pathways for different countries and cities to advance green and low-carbon development. Panelists engaged in discussions on key topics including funding guarantee, technology transfer, standard-setting, market-based mechanisms, and resilient governance. They proposed that green transition should strike a balance between equity and efficiency, and its implementation should be tailored to the actual conditions of different regions. The participating panelists reached a consensus that green transition is not a burden on development but a valuable opportunity. It requires multi-stakeholder collaborative innovation, as well as joint efforts across national and sectoral boundaries to build a sustainable green development paradigm.
“1+4+N” Coordinated Linkage Builds Long-term Green Cooperation Platform
This edition of the forum has innovatively established a “1+4+N” framework. In addition to the opening ceremony and main forum, it has organized seven parallel forums, industry promotion events, the International Green Industry Expo, and a City Low-Carbon Lifestyle Festival as supporting activities. These initiatives integrate four core scenarios, intellectual exchange, industrial matchmaking, achievement showcase, and public science popularization. The framework balances professional depth, public communication, and industrial effectiveness, to empower the high-quality development of the green industry.
Additionally, the forum has launched the Global Top Brands Awards (GTB for short) selection. The China Green Development Leading Brands List of GTB was formally unveiled on site. Leveraging a globalized evaluation system, the initiative identifies outstanding practical cases of domestic enterprises in the fields of low-carbon practices, intelligent manufacturing, and ESG governance. Drawing on the international brand influence of GTB, the forum has built an international display platform for Chinese green enterprises to go global, continuously enhancing the international visibility and discursive power of China’s green brands.
Standing at the opening juncture of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, this forum serves as both a critical practical platform for advancing the national dual carbon strategy and cultivating green new quality productive forces, and a key showcase window for Beijing’s drive to build itself into an international benchmark city for green economy and develop BMC into a national green development demonstration zone.
The forum has forged a synergistic chain linking policy, technology, capital, and industry. It pools global innovation resources for Beijing’s strategic and foundational green industries, amplifies the green demonstration effect of BMC, and empowers the green high-quality development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Meanwhile, it acts as a two-way dialogue bridge connecting green resources at home and abroad, showcases the practical stories of China’s urban low-carbon transition, and contributes the wisdom of the capital to global urban climate governance. Looking ahead, the forum will continue to build a long-term exchange and cooperation platform, roll out regularized activities including overseas industry promotion, thematic seminars, and technology supply-demand matchmaking, join hands with all stakeholders in the green industry to deepen pragmatic cooperation, and jointly deliver the answer sheet for the era of “Green Empowerment, Low-Carbon Symbiosis”.