[Beijing Forum 2021] Sub-forum "Pathways to Decarbonizing the Planet of Cities" held
Nov 27, 2021
Peking University, November 27, 2021: On November 18, 2021, the Beijing Forum (2021) "Pathways to
Decarbonizing the Planet of Cities" sub-forum was held online. This
sub-forum was jointly organized by the Beijing Forum, the College of
Urban and Environmental Sciences of Peking University, the Center for
Urban Development and Land Policy of Peking University-Lincoln Research
Institute, and the Institute of Energy of Peking University. Many
well-known experts and scholars at home and abroad were invited,
including Professor A. Michael Spence, the winner of the Nobel Prize in
Economics in 2001. There were more than 6,000 viewers in the Chinese
live room and 1,800 in the English live room during the one-day academic
feast.
In the morning, Professor Yang Lei, deputy dean of the Institute of
Energy of Peking University, presided over the four lectures given by
four experts.
Professor Jin Zhijun, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and
dean of the Institute of Energy of Peking University, gave the first
speech on "Challenges and Basic Path Analysis of Achieving Carbon
Neutrality". Jin believes that China faces three major challenges in
achieving carbon neutrality: rigid energy growth, a coal-based energy
structure, and the thirty-year time limit. He proposes that the
cooperation between the market and the government should be
strengthened.
Professor Jiang Yi of Tsinghua University, academician of the Chinese
Academy of Engineering, member of the National Climate Change Expert
Committee gave the second speech on "Building a New Rural Energy System
Based on Rooftop Photovoltaics". Jiang Yi emphasized that rural areas
are the entry point of China's urban-rural energy transformation. He
elaborated on the feasibility of rural rooftop photovoltaic projects
from both theoretical and practical levels.
Qiu Baoxing, academician of the International Eurasian Academy of
Sciences, former vice-minister of the Ministry of Housing and
Urban-Rural Development, and chairman of the Chinese Society for Urban
Studies, delivered the third speech titled "The Dual-Carbon Strategy
with the City as the Main Body". He proposed that the urban
carbon-neutral path mainly includes five modules: industry, rural
agriculture, construction, transportation, and waste treatment, and
introduced practical cases and future technology strategies of urban
carbon reduction.
Professor Fang Jingyun, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,
president of Yunnan University, and professor from the College of Urban
and Environmental Sciences of Peking University gave the fourth lecture
on "Research on Terrestrial Carbon Sink Facing Carbon Neutrality". Fang
believes that reducing emissions and increasing carbon sinks are the two
decisive factors when it comes to achieving carbon neutrality. Based on
a variety of models, he proposed the estimated value and potential of
carbon sink in the terrestrial ecosystem in China. After the four
speeches, the experts answered questions raised by the audience online.
The agenda in the afternoon included keynote speeches, round table
discussions and a new book release chaired by Professor He Canfei, dean
of the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences of Peking University.
A. Michael Spence, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2001,
Emeritus Professor of the Stanford Graduate School of Business gave a
keynote speech entitled "Energy Transition, Carbon Price and Trading,
and Urbanization". He analyzed the challenges of economic recovery in
the post-epidemic era and the problems of economic structural
transformation and explored the relationship between carbon emission
reduction and economic growth. Regarding the carbon trading system, he
pointed out that carbon price can be used as an important means to solve
the consistency problem. He also used China and India as examples to
point out that each country should respond to climate change at its own
pace.
The round table discussion was chaired by Dr. Liu Zhi, director of the
Center for Urban Development and Land Policy of Peking
University-Lincoln Institute. The guests discussed issues such as the
relationship between climate change and economic development, and the
development of global green finance.
The book "China's Climate Mitigation and Adaptation: Policy, Technology
and Market" was released in the end. It is co-edited by Peking
University professors Fu Jun, Zhang Dongxiao, and Lei Ming. Dr. Liu Zhi
spoke highly of the book's contribution to China's carbon reduction
policy.
The wonderful sharing of the speakers, collision of ideas in the round
table forum and active participation of audiences online have given us a
clearer understanding as well as the confidence needed for the global
carbon-neutral road ahead.
Written by: Wu Xiaoxi
Edited by: Estella Zhang Qiming
Source: Beida News (Chinese)
