Zonergy Attended the UN Global Compact CEO Roundtable

On April 9, on the occasion of the visit to China by Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action and Assistant Secretary-General of the Climate Action Team, the UN Global Compact organized a CEO Roundtable in Beijing themed “Full-Chain Collaboration, Green-Driven Future – Energy Sector Ecosystem Upgrading and Just Transition”.

Zonergy Corporation is invited to the forum. Xu Hongchang, President of the Company, attends the event and deliveries a keynote speech on the “The Value of Clean Energy Transition for Public Well-being and Inclusive Benefits”. At the conference, drawing on corporate practices, Xu Hongchang shares typical cases of Zonergy’s long-term participation in the construction and O&M of livelihood power supply projects, the development of PV power stations in Pakistan overseas, and involvement in the UNHCR portable power supply project, and has in-depth exchanges with other participants.

He stated that in the process of clean energy transition, enterprises should not only be technology providers, but also value creators and responsibility bearers. With “the value of public well-being and inclusive benefits” as a core guiding principle, companies must continuously improve energy accessibility and affordability, strengthen their driving role in regional economic and social development, and truly make energy a foundational force for social progress.

Speech by Xu Hongchang, President of Zonergy Corporation

The conference is chaired by Ms. Liu Meng, Resident Representative of the UN Global Compact in China, bringing together more than 20 representatives from UN Headquarters and its country offices in China, Chinese policy-making authorities, industry associations and core enterprises along the energy industry chain. Focusing on the energy industry, the conference discusses industrial experience, challenges and future development in the transition process from an international perspective, building consensus and pursuing common development for the global just energy transition.

Roundtable Conference Venue

The following content is excerpted from the news release of “UN Global Compact”, with abridgements

Joint focus on a historic opportunity: The Era of Clean Energy

As a key opening segment, both Mr. Selwin Hart, UN Assistant Secretary-General, and Mr. Stephen Jackson, UN Resident Coordinator in China, express strong attention to the important global trend of energy transition and believe that China is playing an increasingly active role.

Stephen Jackson UN Resident Coordinator in China

Mr. Stephen Jackson, UN Resident Coordinator in China notes that a just transition is the foundation of energy transition. A genuine energy transition is not only the only way to achieve low-carbon transformation, but also tests how the process advances the integrated development of environmental, social and economic dimensions. Therefore, whole-industry-chain cooperation is the critical path for energy transition. Only by strengthening in-depth cross-industrial and cross-border cooperation and innovation, and integrating various sustainable measures to enhance transition resilience, can we turn green transition from concept into practice. In this process, China’s experience in building a complete industrial chain provides important support for advancing global energy transition. It is becoming a key link in South-South cooperation and the development of the global energy industry, offering implementable and economically viable low-carbon technologies and investment solutions for developing countries.

Selwin Hart Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action and Assistant Secretary-General of the Climate Action Team

Mr. Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action and Assistant Secretary-General of the Climate Action Team, addresses the current state of global development, emphasizing that over-reliance on fossil fuels not only triggers the climate crisis but also creates profound economic and geopolitical vulnerabilities. In recent years, the grim progress toward global warming mitigation goals and the energy crisis triggered by geopolitical conflicts have made it clear that clean energy is no longer an option, but a necessity. However, three major systemic obstacles currently hinder efforts to improve the accessibility, affordability and large-scale deployment of clean energy worldwide. First, the cost of capital is excessively high; financing costs in developing countries are typically two to four times those in advanced economies. Second, infrastructure development lags behind. The rapid expansion of clean energy generation capacity requires the simultaneous construction of supporting infrastructure such as power grids and energy storage systems. Third, amid current geopolitical tensions, innovative approaches are needed to build an open, resilient and diversified global clean energy supply chain while safeguarding common interests. Over the years, China has not only sent positive signals of embracing international cooperation and upholding multilateralism, but also accumulated extensive experience in policies, technologies, investment and industrial practices for the clean energy transition. These efforts will help turn the global energy crisis into a historic opportunity.

Joint corporate action and sustained international dialogue: Focus on China’s power and transportation industry

Power system development and sustainable transportation are key areas of China’s clean energy transition, where a large number of new energy enterprises have joined forces. The conference specially invites the China Electricity Council and the China International Sustainable Transport Innovation and Knowledge Center to share their practices.

Mr. Hao Yingjie, Secretary-General of the China Electricity Council, believes that whole-chain coordination and a just transition in the energy industry represent a critical pathway to addressing dilemmas in global energy governance and achieving sustainable development goals. Everyone is a participant in the energy transition, and a just transition requires concerted international cooperation. At present, China has established the world’s largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system. Meanwhile, the electricity consumption of the whole society continues to increase, and the level of electrification of terminal energy consumption has significantly improved. With the support of the CEC, power industry enterprises have actively participated in global energy governance, jointly conducted research on the carbon footprint of power products, and engaged in international exchanges and standard formulation and revision promoted by the CEC. In particular, they have contributed Chinese solutions in areas such as ultra-high voltage power transmission and new energy power generation, and continue to play a constructive role in advancing the global energy transition.

Mr. Xie Hui, Deputy Director of the China International Sustainable Transport Innovation and Knowledge Center, points out that transportation is an important application scenario for energy transition, and the development of sustainable transport relies heavily on the further advancement of energy transition. The Center is committed to stimulating innovative corporate solutions and promoting global transportation cooperation through three major platforms: the Global Sustainable Transport Forum, the Sustainable Transport Expert Working Group under the UN Global Compact “Belt and Road Initiative Platform”, and the International Transportation Technology and Equipment Exhibition. He adds that to accelerate the energy transition in the transportation sector, the establishment of a standard system and the development of technical tools and solutions are important pillars for building an industrial ecosystem. Cooperating with multilateral development banks to ensure funding flows to the most needed areas and projects, and collaborating with UN agencies to share and replicate best practices from various countries are important pathways to promote the coordinated development of energy transition and the transportation sector. The Center stands ready to join hands with the UN Global Compact to promote the energy transition and development in the transportation sector.

Just transition of the full energy industrial chain – progress and challenges

The roundtable dialogue, a core segment of this conference, brings together representatives from enterprises across the energy-related ecosystem, including wind, solar, power, storage, hydrogen, batteries, materials, construction, transportation, and electronics/appliances industries. Although enterprises operate at different links in the energy industrial chain and cover diverse business sectors, their exchanges not only demonstrate the diversity and advanced nature of their practices, but also focus on identifying common challenges on the path toward a global clean energy era. They are committed to deepening understanding of key issues through the dialogue mechanisms of the UN platform, and applying replicable practical solutions to regions in need around the world.

At the conference, enterprise representatives focus their discussions on the following topics: key areas for the large-scale application of clean energy, collaborative innovation and integrated development across the upstream and downstream of the new energy industrial chain, systemic coordination in the global deployment of clean energy, easing financing constraints for the energy transition, and addressing multiple challenges facing the global energy transition through international platforms. For more details, refer to: Dialogue with Mr. Selwin Hart, UN Assistant Secretary-General: CEO Roundtable Conference in Whole-chain Coordination for a Green Future Successfully Held

Mr. Selwin Hart and Mr. Stephen Jackson express their sincere gratitude to the participating enterprises for sharing their experience, insights and suggestions, and respond positively. They note that although the world currently faces multiple challenges, technological progress has paved the way for the transition, and China’s impressive innovative achievements in the energy sector are deeply commendable. With technologies already in place, the UN will continue to build multilateral dialogue platforms to facilitate consultation and promote best practices. All sectors should remain confident in the future, sustain dialogue, and work together to advance a just global energy transition.