Green Empowerment, Low-Carbon Symbiosis: Beijing Green Development Forum 2026 Grandly Opens at Beijing Municipal Administrative Center

BEIJING, Sept. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 17, the Beijing Green Development Forum 2026, themed "Green Empowerment, Low-Carbon Symbiosis", grandly kicked off at Beijing Municipal Administrative Center (BMC). Hosted by Asia Data Group and organized by ADG Expo Group, it has received strong backing from its Global Honorary Partner Huaxia Bank, strategic partner Beijing Energy Holding Co., Ltd., as well as internationally authoritative institutions including the World Green Design Organization, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, the Center for China & Globalization, and the Alliance of Global Talent Organizations. It has also been supported by substantial assistance from supporting units such as Europe Digital Group, Beijing Investment Group Co., Ltd., and Huanhui Real Estate. Positioned at the pivotal launch stage of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the forum is dedicated to advancing the implementation of the national dual carbon strategic deployment. It will focus on fostering green new quality productive forces, sharing best practices in modern sustainable development, and jointly exploring actionable pathways for green and low-carbon transition.

Nearly 400 domestic and international distinguished guests attended the grand opening ceremony of the forum, including Erik Solheim, Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and UN Environment Programme Executive Director, and Chair of Europe-Asia Center; Li Shuai, Deputy Director of the Department of Resource Conservation and Environmental Protection, National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC); Li Junjie, Executive Deputy Secretary of the CPC Working Committee and Executive Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center, and Secretary of the CPC Tongzhou District Committee; Li Xiaotao, Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform; Mohan Munasinghe, 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and Former Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); Ma Chaode, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in China, and Director of the Planet Pillar (Resources, Environment and Climate); Wang Zhonglin, Founding Director of the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Zhu Dongfang, President of Asia Data Group (ADG); Zhang Li, Co-President of ADG; and Qu Gang, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee and President of Huaxia Bank.

Also present at the event were senior leaders of central and local state-owned enterprises, representatives of municipal and district government departments, diplomats from foreign embassies in China, leaders from domestic universities, representatives of foreign-funded enterprises, industry experts, young talent representatives, and other guests from across the globe.

Evolving from the former Beijing Municipal Administrative Center Green Development Forum, this edition is closely aligned with the strategic positioning of building Beijing into an international benchmark city for green economy and developing BMC as a national green development demonstration zone. It has pioneered a market-oriented operation model, and follows the "2+3" core strategy: rooted in the tenet of "green as the foundation, smart technologies as the driving force" to build a high-quality green industry cooperation platform that is international, industry-oriented and accessible to the general public. The forum has also launched a "1+4+N" event framework, with a focus on building a high-level green development cooperation hub that integrates policy announcement, technology commercialization, industry empowerment, international cooperation and city image promotion. It aims to deliver three core outcomes: a globally interconnected cooperative ecosystem, a full-chain closed loop for industry implementation, and inclusive communication scenarios that are tangible and engaging for all citizens. Supported by digital-intelligent and low-carbon event services, and guided by a results-oriented and value-driven principle, the forum is designed to maximize its long-term impact by delivering year-round services despite its compact event schedule.

Joint Dialogue Between Chinese and International Stakeholders on Green Governance Charts Course for Global Low-Carbon Cooperation

At the opening ceremony, Erik Solheim, Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and UN Environment Programme Executive Director, and Chair of Europe-Asia Center, delivered an address in which he highly commended the remarkable progress made in improving Beijing's ecological environment. He noted that, leveraging its well-developed rail transit system and widely adopted new-energy transport, Beijing has built a clean and livable green metropolis despite its massive population scale. He added that other domestic cities including Chengdu, Hangzhou and Shenzhen have also developed striking exemplary cases in ecological practice. Solheim expressed full endorsement of the philosophy that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", pointing out that China's green energy transition has enhanced its energy independence. He noted that the country's green urban governance practices can provide valuable references for the sustainable development of cities worldwide, helping different regions explore development paths suited to their own conditions.

Landmark Outcomes Released On-site, Charting the Path for Urban Green Transition

At the opening ceremony, Li Xiaotao, Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, was the first to unveil the major progress in building Beijing into an international benchmark city for green economy. The release systematically presented the city's practical experiences and phased achievements over the past two years across the five benchmark domains for the green economy benchmark city construction: green technology innovation, green industry cultivation, green and livable city development, green culture nurturing, and green cooperation featuring joint contribution and shared benefits. It also outlined the city's development strategies and key priorities for the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

At the forum, Guo Kun, Deputy Head of the Department of Finance and Professor in the School of Economics and Management at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), unveiled the "Beijing Green Economy Development Blue Book (2026)". Jointly released by UCAS and other institutions, the blue book offers a systematic assessment of Beijing's green economy development in recent years, and analyzes the green development practices of benchmark cities including Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. It is designed to provide decision-making reference for Beijing's drive to build itself into an international benchmark city for green economy, and contribute the "Beijing Solution" to the green development of global megacities.

Xu Ming, Chair Professor of Carbon Neutrality and Associate Dean, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, unveiled the report "Advancing the Urban Green Economy: Shared Insights from Global Cities". Jointly released by Tsinghua University and experts from University College London, The City University of New York, Hiroshima University, and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, the report is grounded in the green economy practices of major cities including Beijing, London, New York, Paris and Tokyo. It systematically outlines the key pathways and common lessons drawn from cities' efforts to advance green economy development, distilling a globally oriented shared understanding. The report aims to offer actionable reference for cities worldwide to accelerate green transition and advance the comprehensive greening of their own economic and social development.

The "Beijing Initiative on Standards-Led Urban Green Transition" was officially unveiled. It was jointly released by over 20 units including the United Nations Environment Programme, World Green Design Organization, Center for China & Globalization, China National Institute of Standardization, China Association for Standardization, Tsinghua University and Renmin University of China. With core objectives of forging consensus, deepening cooperation and aligning concerted action, the initiative highlights and leverages the foundational and leading role of standards in steering and regulating green development, promoting green technology innovation, and dismantling green trade barriers. It is structured around six priority directions:

- Bolstering foundational support through standards-led advancement;

- Advancing collaborative development in a systematic and coordinated way;

- Harnessing technology to power innovation-driven development;

- Fostering efficient cross-sectoral coordination and collaboration;

- Advancing open cooperation and mutual recognition of mutually compatible standards;

- Encouraging multi-stakeholder engagement for inclusive governance and shared benefits.

The initiative calls for integrating standardization into the top-level design of urban green development, advancing synergistic innovation across technology and standards, deepening mutual recognition of international standards, and mobilizing all sectors of society to participate in urban carbon peaking and carbon neutrality efforts.

Fertile Ground Fostered for Green Industry Development, Unleashing Momentum for Low-Carbon Innovation

Li Junjie, Executive Deputy Secretary of the CPC Working Committee and Executive Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center, and Secretary of the CPC Tongzhou District Committee, delivered a keynote presentation on BMC's efforts to build a national green development demonstration zone.