Co-hosted by Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Asian Development Bank, Department of Ecology of Shaanxi Province, and co-organised by Department of Environment in Shaanxi Province, and Northwest University, the First Carbon Neutrality (Xi’an) International Forum took place on May 12 in Xi’an. The Forum, entitled “Collaborative Development of Innovation Chain and Industry Chain towards Carbon Neutrality”, is a sub-forum of the Fifth Silk Road International Exposition and the Investment and Trade Forum for Cooperation between East and West China. The forum aims to explore a low-carbon and sustainable path for development with Shaanxi Province characteristics through creating synergy between innovation chain and industry chain, and pooling wisdom and effort for integrated development, thus helping China to achieve its national goal of “peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060” in an early date.
The opening ceremony was presided over by Wu Congcng, vice-general secretary of Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government. The forum was attended by leading scholars nationwide and leaders of the hosts and organisers of the event. They are: Professor Liu Jiaping, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, and also the director of Centre for Green Architecture at Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology; Professor Zhao Wenzhi, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, the director of National and Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of CCS, research fellow of Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development; Professor Zhang Xiaoye, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, dean of Northwest University- Yulin Institute of Carbon Neutrality, and research fellow of Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences; Cheng Fu, Vice Governor of Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government; Jiang Zhaoli, Deputy Director of Department of Climate Change at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China; Zhai Shuiping, Director of Energy Sector of Asian Development Bank; Sun Li, Deputy Head of Department of Ecology of Shaanxi Province; President Guo Lihong from Northwest University, and Chang Jiang, Vice President of Northwest University and member of the Standing Committee of Northwest University.
During the event, the attended experts gave keynote talks on various aspects of carbon neutrality including low-carbon economy, Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage (CCUS) deployment, safety of petroleum and gas, business viable technology of CCUS, and development strategies for Shaanxi Province and China at large.
Over decades, Northwest University’s efforts in exploring measures to tackle climate change and other major national issues have come to fruition. On May 9, the first Northwest University, in partnership with Yulin City, established Northwest University- Yulin Science and Innovation Centre for Carbon Neutrality (the first institute of carbon neutrality in China), and Northwest University- Yulin Science and Innovation Centre for Carbon Neutrality. This showcases that to help realize China’s national goal of peaking carbon dioxide emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, Northwest University and Yulin City are endeavored to leverage Northwest University’s strengths in teaching and research, and geographical, industrial resources advantages of Yulin City.
