BEIJING: The 15th International Forum on Energy for Sustainable Development opened on Wednesday in Xi’an, Shaanxi province. It was the first time the forum has been held in China.
More than 300 representatives from the United Nations, government energy departments, industry organizations, universities, and companies attended. Discussion centered on how to balance energy security, economic growth, and the low-carbon transition at a time of geopolitical tension and volatile energy markets.
Many delegates echoed that the energy transition is more than a swap of one energy source for another. They said it requires technological innovation, industrial coordination, and regional cooperation, and that the benefits of clean energy should reach more regions.
“Regional energy cooperation should take into account the development realities of all countries and focus on supporting nations in need to jointly achieve transition goals,” said Liu Hongpeng, director of the energy division at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
Niu Yanyan is president of the China region for distributed energy business of LONGi Green Energy Technology, one of the world’s largest solar module makers. She said power market reform is shifting from planned generation to market-based consumption, and from a focus on cost per kilowatt-hour to the value each kilowatt-hour delivers.
“For industrial enterprises, what matters is whether they can secure a safe, stable and sustainable energy supply at a reasonable cost when needed,” Niu said.
Participants also visited zero-carbon smart communities, rural photovoltaic projects, and new energy manufacturers to learn about Xi’an’s energy transition. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
