On April 25, 2021, the Green Development Forum and the Seminar on The Road to Carbon Neutrality (Domestic Sub-Forum) was held in Beijing by the China Forum under Tsinghua University’s Center for International Security and Strategy, Hainan Green Finance Research Institute, and Central University of Finance and Economics, bringing together over 50 heavyweights from government, academia and industry.

The participants believe that climate change is a scientific issue that will advance global governance. In response to the call of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, China has set carbon emissions targets which comply strictly with the Copenhagen Accord and the Paris Agreement and will drive the global energy transformation. Green development is now the top priority on China’s agenda.

In addition to China’s cutting-edge clean energy technologies, facilities and infrastructure with high operational efficiency, its political system could ensure a consistent and sustainable energy solution, the panelists noted, offering the country strong confidence in meeting its 30-60 Goals, which aim to hit peak emissions by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2060. However, we still face challenges in clean energy regarding supply instability, storage, phase-out cost of existing energy, and technology and system upgrade.

China, the US, and Europe, as key stakeholders in addressing climate change, need to work together to bridge their divergences in funding, technology and emission allowances in oder to promote international cooperation on climate change and green development.

It was agreed at the forum that addressing climate change is not only the path to China’s quality growth, but also an emerging priority for the study of international relations.