For 12 years, what has the Shenzhen International Low Carbon City Forum told the world?

SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 28, the 12^th session of the Shenzhen International Low Carbon City Forum was opened successfully.

"Shenzhen, international and low-carbon" - for 12 years, the forum has been talking about stories of going green.

It is a story of forerunners. The forum was born along with the Shenzhen International Low Carbon City. 12 years ago, a new name appeared on the map of Shenzhen. Shenzhen International Low Carbon City has been a pioneer in green transformation from a wild land with factories to a green and low-carbon industry cluster with a better environment.

It is the epitome of Shenzhen's innovative development. As the facilitator of innovation, the forum, over the past 12 years, has witnessed the brainstorm of low-carbon ideas, the debut of cutting-edge green technologies and consensus for green development. Now "Shenzhen Green" has become an ID of high-quality development.

In 2023, the increased value of Shenzhen's green and low-carbon industries reached 220 billion yuan, up 16.9% year on year. At the same time, energy consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP, water consumption and carbon emission intensity dropped to 1/3, 1/8 and 1/5 of the national average, respectively.

It is a role model of international cooperation for sustainable development. In response to climate change, the forum has become a stage of consensus and cooperation, and witnessed the efforts of knowledgeable people in promoting green development and low-carbon transformation in the world.

The hands of clocks are turning, and the International Low Carbon City has gone all the way forward, as has the International Low Carbon City Forum with strong momentum.

Rooted in Shenzhen International Low Carbon City, the forum tells the world about moving towards green.

A special city gives birth to a forum

Tracing back to the origin of the forum, we have to mention the origin of the International Low Carbon City first.

Back in 2010, scholars from both China and the Netherlands launched an initiative to build a low-carbon city of ecological knowledge at the junction of Shenzhen, Dongguan and Huizhou.

"Initially, it was only an academic idea, but it soon became a decision of the Shenzhen Municipal Government under the direct guidance of the NDRC, and eventually the flagship project of China's international cooperation with the EU on sustainable urbanization."

It took just 3 years to realize the three-stage jump, from conception to implementation, according to one of the earliest advocates of the Low Carbon City, Wang Dong, who is also the secretary-general of the Development Center of Shenzhen International Low Carbon Forum.

At the end of 2012, the construction of the International Low Carbon City broke ground officially, and on June 17, 2013, the first International Low Carbon City Forum was held during the first National Low Carbon Day, marking the debut of the International Low Carbon City.

From their birth, the International Low Carbon City and the International Low Carbon City Forum have been resonant with each other, shouldering an important mission to become a platform of international cooperation, and a carrier of new low-carbon technologies.

With a total planning area of about 53 km², the International Low Carbon City, the only key area named after "low carbon" in Shenzhen, has become a "green ID" of Shenzhen and even China.

"Its model is replicable. It provides a unique and valuable experience for other cities in China, and even developed countries, to go green". It was awarded the Prize for Cities of the Future 2014 and received such comments from the China Center for International Economic Exchange and the Paulson Institute of the United States.

The forum going through 12 sessions will continue to have more glorious moments

"Over the past 12 years, the forum has been seeking new ideas and changes, not just through 'academic talks', but also by providing a platform for sharing innovative technologies, application scenarios, and practical experiences regarding green and low-carbon development for wider dissemination", according to the head of the forum.

The forum's quest for innovation and change is reflected in the themes it sets each year.

From exploring the new road of urbanization to seeking new impetus for green development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, from focusing on the "Dual Carbon" goals to the latest theme of "Developing New  Quality Productivity and Promoting Comprehensive Green Transformation" this year, the forum has kept abreast of the times and kept focusing on global concerns.

It has become increasingly mature and professional and consists of many satellite conferences focusing on green transportation, green buildings, clean energy, green finance, carbon trading, ESG, and other vertical fields.

Looking back over the past 12 years, the forum has left many "highlights". In the first forum held in 2013, Shenzhen's carbon emission trading system was initiated, and the first carbon transaction was done in China.

In 2016, the forum set up the first clean technology exhibition with a collection of the latest research results from China, the United States, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, etc.

In 2017, the forum for the first time achieved "zero carbon emissions". In 2018, the International Green and Low Carbon Industry Expo was held in conjunction with the forum.

In 2023, the Greater Bay Area Carbon Footprint Labeling Certification Public Service Platform, China's first platform in this area, was unveiled at the forum. The White Paper on Carbon Finance Innovation and Practice in Shenzhen under Dual Carbon Goals will be released in 2024.

Green "cutting-edge technology" changes the future of life

As envisioned initially, the International Low Carbon City Forum provides a demonstrative stage for innovative green technologies and application scenarios. Since its first launch in 2017, the International Low Carbon Technology Roadshow has become the "standard dish" along with the industry trade fair of the forum.

On the stage of the Roadshow, the imaginative green life in the future was translated into reality through cutting-edge technologies. For example, this year's roadshow projects include a new type of nano-material that is like putting a "self-cleaning coat" on a building's envelope, a roller device that generates electricity from Canada by using slow-moving water, and a new type of battery that is capable of long-time energy storage with high-security and low-cost.

In addition to showcasing green "cutting-edge technologies", the forum also selects "low-carbon models" of successful application and releases a list of demonstrative bases of application scenarios every year. The "Near Zero Carbon" Emission Demonstration Community Renovation and Co-construction Project on Ganquan Road, the "Near Zero Carbon" Campus of Tianjin University Shenzhen College, and the Advanced Air Traffic AAM Center in the Deep Space City selected this year... These green scenes on the list have played a demonstrative role in further promoting the concept of green and low-carbon, sharing the experience of green and low-carbon development.

Becoming a "green engine" for economic development

The "Shenzhen Zero Carbon Park" Guideline, released at the forum in 2021, was the first in China to define "Zero Carbon Park", including content on reducing carbon emissions, boosting negative emissions, and saving energy. It contains also the construction and management model of "Zero Carbon Park" and an indicator system.

With the release of new policies and the introduction of new industries, the International Low Carbon City and the forum have not only created a new trend of green life, but also a "green engine" to drive economic development.

Statistics show that the launch of the International Low Carbon City has doubled the GDP and industrial output of the area in five years.

The number of national high-tech enterprises has increased from 15 in 2012 to 386 now.

At present, there are 99 enterprises with over 100 million yuan annual output and 408 enterprises above designated size in the area.

10 enterprises have been rated as national "little giants" specializing in fine, special and new products.

Internationalization is the unchanging goal

As can be seen from the name of the International Low Carbon City, "internationalization" is the basic principle of the city and the forum.

Every year, international experts and scholars from all over the world gather in the low carbon city to discuss the innovative practices in different industries in green transformation of different countries.

According to statistics, over the past 12 years, the forum has attracted more than 10,000 guests from over 60 countries and regions around the world, including Mr. Ban Ki-moon, the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms. Annemarie Jorritsma, the former Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mr. Al Gore, the former Vice-President of the United States, Mr. Steven Chu, the Nobel Prize laureate, and Mr. Nicholas Stern, the Co-chairman of the Global Commission for the Economy and Climate, among others.

At the same time, Shenzhen has also established extensive relations with international counterparts through the forum, and signed cooperation agreements with cities including Eindhoven, Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Los Angeles in the US; and with international institutions including the World Bank, C40 Urban Climate Leadership Alliance. It has also established good relations with the World Wildlife Fund, the Global Environment Facility and others.

Through the forum, Shenzhen has brought in world top-level low-carbon projects and teams. For example, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory of the United States was stationed in the low carbon city to establish an innovation experiment center, which is the first joint research institution established outside the United States.

In March last year, BRUSA from Germany, a pioneering enterprise in the global new energy automobile industry, settled in Longgang to promote the collaborative pilot project of an international energy Internet platform and hydrogen fuel application conversion system.

In addition, the forum also organized South-South cooperation training courses, theme day activities in the Netherlands, France, Italy, Croatia and other countries, and international roadshows of green technology projects in Europe, etc., so as to set up international communication channels to share excellent cases of green transformation with the world. This year, the Forum focused on the technical cooperation discussions of developing countries along the "Belt and Road". It further promoted cooperation between Asian cities under the framework of South-South cooperation and North-South cooperation, promoted cooperation and partnership between cities and enterprises, and accelerated local actions to achieve climate neutrality.

Thanks to 12 years of exploration, the transformation of the International Low Carbon City which was part of the journey of Shenzhen going "green", has fully demonstrated the perfect integration of "Eco-beauty" and the "Economic Value", based on which the International Low Carbon City Forum is flourishing with the city, with the time, and keeping on telling the world the story of "green journey".