UN holds workshop on green development and carbon neutrality

Leaders from international organizations, entrepreneurs, and scholars shared their efforts and research at the 16th UGIH Systemic Innovation Workshop in green development and carbon neutrality on Thursday in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, driving the creation of zero-carbon communities worldwide.

Hosted by the United Nations Climate Change Global Innovation Hub, or UGIH, the workshop served as a prelude to the 30th UN climate conference, which will take place in November in Belém, Brazil.

Nitin Arora, head of UGIH, emphasized in his speech, focusing on people, collaborating on innovations, and using South-South cooperation to advance zero-carbon city transitions, aiming for a fairer and more sustainable future.

The workshop focused on three key areas: achieving net-zero through energy transition, building sustainable supply chains and circular economies, and transforming agriculture and food systems for sustainability.

Guan Dabo, the associate dean for the Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Tsinghua University, emphasized in his keynote speech the importance of energy transition for achieving a net-zero future.

He highlighted the role of the China Emissions Accounts and Datasets in providing solutions for global net-zero infrastructure and stressed the critical role of technological innovation in advancing low-carbon transitions.

Marcelo de Andrade, founder of Brazil's Pro-Natura International, stated how shared value platforms drive sustainable communities and help businesses reach net-zero emissions.

This approach has improved the lives of over 6 million people and supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Arvea Marieni, EU Climate Pact ambassador and senior advisor to the World Green Design Organization, discussed how virtual twin technology can transform sustainable agriculture and food systems.

Through case studies, she shared innovative development paths for sustainable agriculture, offering new insights for the future of sustainable food systems.

Renowned Chinese entrepreneur Wang Shi highlighted that achieving the dual carbon goals requires collaboration across sectors and the integration of various resources. He urged all sectors of society to unite in promoting sustainable development.

His company, DeepRock Group, with one of its main business segments specializing in carbon-neutral communities, launched the "Energy-Carbon Cloud" platform at the workshop.

The platform serves as a core engine of the group for the low-carbon transformation of urban communities, integrates the management of various power-consuming devices at the edge and end levels, and offers users customized, comprehensive energy solutions.