The first dialogue of the China-Europe-America Net Zero Transition Platform took place on December 20, 2021, co-organized by the China-Europe-America Global Initiative and the Belgian-China Chamber of Commerce, with partners including China Forum (CF) of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS), the Paulson Institute, Intesa Sanpaolo, Emlyon Business School, and Innovation Centre Denmark. The virtual event brought together 40 speakers from over 10 countries to share their insights on net zero transition.
Among the speakers at the opening ceremony were David GOSSET, Founder, China-Europe-America Global Initiative; Laurent FABÍOUS, former Prime Minister of France; DU Zhanyuan, Director, China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration; Javier SOLANA, former EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy; Irina BOKOVA, former UNESCO Director-General; and Gian Maria GROS-PIETRO, Chairman of Intesa Sanpaolo.
Session 4 of the dialogue, co-organized by CF and moderated by CF Vice Chairman Eric LI, centered on “government initiatives and business investment in decarbonization,” where the role of public-private partnerships was explored by panelists including Siddharth CHATTERJEE, UN Resident Coordinator in China; Erik BERGLOF, Chief Economist, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; Freeman SHEN, CEO, WM Motors; Roberto PAGANI, Science and Technology Counselor, Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai; Wendy DU, Business Development Director China, STOR-H; and Frank THORPE, Managing Director, BYD UK.
Under the framework of the China-Europe-America Global Initiative, the China-Europe-America Net-Zero Transition Platform aims to accelerate green transition for sustainability and social progress. The other three sessions of the dialogue covered the themes of “energy transition and the imperative of sustainability,” “smart transportation, new materials, and sustainable design,” and “indispensable green finance.”
YU Yunquan, President of ACCWS, Giamberto GIRALDO, General Manager of Yi Tsai, Joan MCENTEE, former Under Secretary of the US Department of Commerce, and Cecily LIU, Ambassador of the China-Europe-America Youth Program, addressed the closing ceremony of the event.