On June 21, 2021, the third "Carbon Neutral 2060" and Green Finance Forum, sponsored by Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China (RDCY), Energy Sector Group at Asian Development Bank, and undertaken by the Center for Eco-Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, was solemnly held in Renmin University of China following the successful completion of the previous two forums. At the meeting, the book "Promoting China's Green Development", jointly planned and completed by the Energy Sector Group at Asian Development Bank and RDCY, was launched. More than 300,000 people attended the conference online.

"Promoting China's Green Development" was released by Zhai Yongping, chief of Energy Sector Group at Asian Development Bank and Visiting Fellow of RDCY. He shared with the guests some of his insights during the preparation of the book. He believed that China's development experience is a valuable asset in the history of human thought. In addition to bringing fundamental interconnection, industrial developments, and primary industries, China's Belt and Road Initiative also brought new development concepts to other countries and developing countries. From this perspective, this new book contains history and foresight and experience, and lessons worth reflecting on, which can be used as a reference for developing countries. Zhai hoped that more people could read this masterpiece and that the whole world could move towards green development together. Zhai particularly thanked RDCY for its essential contribution to telling China's story, spreading China's voice, and presenting an accurate, three-dimensional, and comprehensive view of China's development in the past few years.

Zhai Yongping (right side)

Yang Yufeng, energy policy advisor at Asian Development Bank, gave a detailed introduction to the book. He said that the book was jointly studied and completed by relevant institutions and experts at home and abroad. The book, now published by People's Press, is a historical and forward-looking commemorative report. The book is composed of four parts: the general report, the development history and achievements of various industries in the past 100 years, expert opinions, and global vision. This book brings together the views of domestic and international experts and systematically summarizes China's brilliant achievements and significant contributions to the international community in the intersection of economy, energy, ecological environment, and climate change in the past 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, mainly since the reform and opening up, and portrays the historical footprints of China's gradual "moving towards the road to green development". In the context of the century change, the book also foresees China's vision to achieve "peaking carbon dioxide emissions" and "carbon neutrality", thus to complete high-quality development and green transformation for achieving the second centennial goal. The opening session was moderated by Wang Wen, Executive Dean of RDCY and Secretary-General of the Green Finance Committee of China Society for Finance and Banking.

Yang Yufeng

After the book launch, a number of experts in the field of "carbon neutral" discussed the conference's theme. The seminar was hosted by Mo Lingshui, a climate change advisor at Asian Development Bank and visiting fellow of RDCY.

Mo Lingshui

Many scholars and experts shared their insights on China's green development during the conference. Bai Rongchun, former deputy director of the National Energy Expert Advisory Committee, said that the "Promoting China's Green Development" summarized some experiences and lessons of China over the past 100 years, especially over the past 40 years of reform and opening up. His speech focused on saving energy and improving energy efficiency in China.

Liao Qun, the chief economist of RDCY and director of the China Chief Economists Forum, shared his thoughts on the relationship between green development and economic growth. He believes that "carbon peak" and "carbon neutral" goals seem to contradict China's economic growth goals. However, if the two can be done well, they are not only not contradictory but complementary.

Sun Xiansheng, vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Investment and former Secretary-General of the International Energy Forum, discussed three balanced contradictions and three significant challenges posed to the current energy industry. Sun affirmed the critical value of the book, which he believed could serve as an essential reference for the study of international energy governance issues.

He Youguo, president of the China Coal Information Research Institute, believes that coal plays an inescapable role in the country's path to green development. Coal production accounts for 70 percent of carbon dioxide emissions. Therefore, to achieve "peaking carbon dioxide emissions" and "carbon neutral", coal utilization must be solved.

Jiang Liping, former vice president of State Grid Energy Research Institute Co., Ltd., shared her thoughts on the energy transition based on the work of the Center for Eco-Financial Studies at Renmin University of China. She stressed the importance of working with professional organizations such as RDCY to solve practical problems in the energy transition. She also called for more support and planning from Asian Development Bank to build high-quality development in the energy industry transformation.

Philip Andrews-Speed,  Senior Principal Fellow at the Energy Studies Institute of the National University of Singapore, participated in the online discussion. He expressed concerns about China's market-oriented energy reform and China's industrial policies in the past year and a half, according to his interpretation and observation. He is looking forward to the introduction of China's 14th Five-Year Plan for the energy sector, which will address these problems and contradictions in the following medium and long-term plans.

Philip Andrews-Speed

Neil Hirst, a senior policy fellow for Energy and Mitigation at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, who also participated in the online discussion, said that China's economic and social achievements, particularly in the past two decades, have been extraordinary. He is confident that China will tackle its new environmental challenges with astonishing capacity and efficiency, just as it has transformed its economy over the past few decades. He believes that "Promoting China's Green Development" will positively contribute to the green development of China's economy.

Neil Hirst

RDCY has held three consecutive "Carbon Neutral and Green Finance Forum", and the first China Green Smart City Monitoring Big Data Management Platform was launched with the release of research report entitled "Carbon Neutral China Urban Progress Report 2021" in the first two sessions. The release of this blockbuster book is the first systematic historical summary of China's energy, environment, economy, and climate change, which has significant historical value. Xinhua News Agency, China.com, Beijing TV, 21st Century Business Herald, Financial Times, and other media attended the conference.

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