On 6 November 2023, the "Carbon Neutrality Citizen Action Conference", co-hosted by the China Society of Economic Reform and the Silk Road Cities Alliance with Shanghai Climate Week as a supporting organisation, was held at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai. It was the third year in a row that a carbon neutrality practice conference has been held within the CIIE framework, bringing together thought leaders and industry figures from China and abroad to exchange ideas and build consensus, and reflecting sustained attention to, and concrete action on, climate change. Under the theme "Inspiring Voluntary Action by Global Citizens: Green Travel, Low-Carbon Living", the conference set out to raise global citizens' awareness of green, low-carbon living, encourage individuals to make a difference through many small, steady actions, and showcase technologies and products that support green, low-carbon lifestyles. The programme had six parts: guest remarks, keynote speeches, a roundtable discussion, launches, closing remarks and an awards evening.
Figure 1: Agenda of the Carbon Neutrality Citizen Action Conference
The conference opened with remarks by Peng Sen, President of the China Society of Economic Reform and former Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, and Kong Quan, Standing Council Member of the China Economic and Social Council, Vice Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the 13th CPPCC National Committee and former Deputy Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission. Keynote speeches were given by Zhao Ai, Chair of the Carbon Neutrality Citizen Action Conference and Executive Vice President and Secretary-General of the China Society of Economic Reform; Alain Wong Yen Cheong, Ambassador of Mauritius to China; Lu Yuan, Deputy Director of the Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Committee; and Zhou Shili of Guizhou Qingli Group.
Figure 2: Group photo of participants at the Carbon Neutrality Citizen Action Conference
In the roundtable, Ms. Remoca Shi, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Climate Week Youth Council and Founder and Executive Director of WeCarbon, discussed "Technology Driving Green Living" with Tang Renhu, Vice Chairman of the International Carbon Alliance; Zhao Bingdi, President of Panasonic Corporation of China; Nan Chuxin, Director of the Research Department of the China Society of Economic Reform; Xu Fei, Vice President of Beijing Jupeng Bio; and Xie Yujun, doctoral supervisor at the Boyuan School of Future Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Figure 3: The "Technology Driving Green Living" roundtable
Ms. Remoca Shi, Founder of WeCarbon, said that artificial intelligence fundamentally connects and speeds up the value cycle, encouraging the public to take an active part in green, low-carbon living. AI and related technologies can be seen as both an "accelerator" and a "meter" for changing and innovating personal green lifestyles. On the one hand, technology enables companies to collect and monetise the green, low-carbon outcomes of individuals and then distribute the value back to individuals fairly as incentives, acting as an "accelerator" of lifestyle change. On the other hand, AI and related technologies can directly collect behavioural data on green, low-carbon living and measure it automatically using suitable methodologies, acting as a "meter". Ms. Shi closed with case studies showing how AI can support carbon inclusion schemes and encourage local residents to take part in low-carbon action.
Ms. Shi also noted that young people, a particularly important part of the public, are both the main beneficiaries of green development and key participants, drivers and champions of global sustainable development. It is therefore all the more important to rally young people and bring more of them to the front line of sustainable development, which is why the Shanghai Climate Week Youth Council was founded.
Tackling climate change is not only a strategic goal for governments and large companies; it should also be concrete action that each of us, as global citizens, takes to save ourselves. Through the Carbon Neutrality Citizen Action Conference as a platform for exchange, WeCarbon will further apply advanced technology to low-carbon pathways, bring social value innovation into practice, and work with the public, financial institutions, governments and businesses to build and share a sustainable future.