The fifth Beijing Urban Sub-Center Green Development Forum opened in Beijing on October 26. During the forum, the “Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Construction of Beijing as an International Green Economy Benchmark City” were released, outlining the city’s goal to significantly enhance the value added from the green economy by 2035 and establish itself as a leading city in this sector.
Yang Xiuling, the Director of the Beijing Development and Reform Commission, emphasized that a green economy is poised to be a core growth driver in future global economic activities. She highlighted Beijing’s rich resources in green technology innovation, strong capital in green finance, and notable advantages in green professional services, stating that the city is well-positioned to take the lead in cultivating new forms of green productive capacity.
Yang pointed out that Beijing will focus on developing seven strategic foundational green industries. These include advanced energy, synthetic biology manufacturing, alternative proteins, smart connected new energy vehicles, as well as climate resilience and ecological environmental protection, green finance, and new green professional services.
She also mentioned that Beijing plans to target the forefront of the global fossil fuel material substitution industry. The city aims to leverage sustainable and efficient technologies in synthetic biology to create an innovation-driven industrial landscape that influences the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and radiates across the nation, building a hub for synthetic biology development in China.
To support these initiatives, Yang noted that Beijing will enhance its green service ecosystem by fostering new business models and services in the green professional sector. This includes establishing a comprehensive voluntary greenhouse gas emissions trading market, developing carbon emission statistical accounting systems, a product carbon labeling certification system, and a carbon footprint management system, all while promoting the coordinated development of various ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) service industries and actively participating in multilateral cooperation for green development under the Belt and Road Initiative.
Looking ahead, Yang indicated that Beijing will concentrate on five key areas: green technology innovation, green industry cultivation, the creation of livable green cities, cultural green nurturing, and cooperative shared green development. The city will organize and implement a series of benchmark projects to ensure tangible outcomes in these domains.
