On September 5 to 6, 2023, the Beijing International Forum for Metropolitan Clean Air and Climate Action was hosted by the Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, with the support of Energy Foundation China (EF China), the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) International Green Development Coalition, the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, and ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability. This forum, on the theme of innovation-driven carbon and pollution reductions, was focused on collaborative governance for clean air and climate change mitigation at the city level through policy, mechanism, and technological innovations.

The forum featured participants from organizations including the United Nations Environment Program, the International Renewable Energy Agency, the International Council on Clean Transportation, and the California Air Resources Board, as well as city representatives from Berlin, Paris, Tokyo, Seoul, Tianjin, and Hong Kong and leading experts from universities and research institutions like Tsinghua University, the Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences, and the National Climate Center.

EF China has supported this annual forum for the fourth consecutive year, with the aim of facilitating coordinated progress in pollution and carbon reductions while also growing the economy. Organizers of the forum hope it can be a platform to explore carbon neutrality- compatible sustainable development pathways for metropolises around the world.

Tang Xuxiang, Beijing’s Deputy Mayor, Tian Weiyong, Chief Engineer of China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and Tu Ruihe, Head of China Office of the United Nations Environment Program, delivered keynote speeches. He Kebin, Dean of the Carbon Neutrality Institute at Tsinghua University, Erik Solheim, Vice Chair of the BRI Green Development International Alliance, and Cassie Sutherland, Global Director of C40 Cities Climate Solutions and Networks, also shared their observations about latest policies, tools, actions, achievements, and pathways in the field of air pollution control and climate change mitigation.

Zou Ji, CEO and President of EF China, talked about new drivers for local green growth. He emphasized that Beijing, along with other international cities, should recognize the opportunity presented by the global transition to decarbonized development. He highlighted that the new impetus to growth will stem from low carbon industries and that economic growth, energy security, and climate mitigation goals are highly aligned in this endeavor.

During a session for volatile organic compounds, Liu Xin, Director of EF China’s Environmental Management Program, talked about collaborative control of ozone and greenhouse gases. He emphasized that co-control measures should address the entire emission process of fossil fuels, especially gasoline.

During a session for coordinated carbon and pollution reductions, Professor Zhang Qiang from Tsinghua University presented his preliminary findings from a EF China-supported research project that assesses benefits from the co-control in Beijing. He found consistent improvements in the annual average concentrations of six major air pollutants in Beijing from 1998 to 2021. Among the six, particulate matter known as PM10, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide decreased by 70, 98, 65, and 82 percent, respectively. With measures for atmospheric pollution control, carbon dioxide concentrations were reduced simultaneously, demonstrating collaborative emission reductions, he said.

Michael Walsh, Founding Chairman of the International Council on Clean Transportation, makes his speech. Photo by the Beijing International Forum for Metropolitan Clean Air and Climate Action

In the future, EF China will continue to support Beijing in coordinated pollution and carbon reductions. We will also support efforts sharing their experience with cities in other countries, with the aim of providing insights from China and collectively advancing global sustainable development.