International Forum on Tackling Climate and Environmental Crisis Successfully Convened

On September 22, the International Forum on Tackling Climate and Environmental Crisis convened in Beijing, which was organized by the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO). At the forum, GEIDCO released the Resolving the Crisis and Towards Sustainable Development to align with and facilitate the implementation of the Paris Agreement and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These efforts will offer a viable solution to climate and environment issues as well as sustainable development, and boost the development of GEI and a community with a shared future for mankind.

This forum was held through "live + online" mode and was broadcast globally. The high-level representatives addressing the forum included H.E. Alpha Condé, President of the Republic of Guinea, H.E. H.E. Dr. Mohamed Shaker El Markabi, Special Envoy of the President of Egypt & Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy of Egypt, H.E. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General of the UN for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr. Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Mr. Mao Weiming, Executive Chairman of State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), and Mr. Francesco La Camera, Director-General of International Renewable Energy Agency. At the forum, Mr. Liu Zhenya, Chairman of GEIDCO, delivered a keynote speech, and several guests made thematic speeches, including Mr. Ovais Sarmad, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Mr. Wang Lin, President of China Three Gorges Corporation, Dr. Shamila Nair-Bedouelle, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences of UNESCO, Mr. Lu Yimin, General Manager of China General Technology (Group) Holding Co., Ltd., and Mr. Keywan Riahi, Director of the Energy Program of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA).

The forum stressed that global crises such as climate change, environmental pollution and resource shortages are posing a grave threat to the survival and development of mankind, rendering conditions increasingly pressing and grim. Tackling the crises and promoting sustainable development is a common goal and shared task of all countries, and no one can stand aloof.

"The extensive development and use of fossil fuels is the root cause of the climate crisis. The fundamental way to tackle the crisis is to accelerate clean development and achieve all-round decarbonization of the energy system." Liu Zhenya remarked that GEI will help speed up clean energy transition worldwide, advancing the adoption of "double dominance", meaning the dominance of alternatives in energy generation and clean electricity in energy consumption; and "double decoupling", namely decoupling energy development from carbon and economic growth from carbon emissions, which will open up new grounds for tackling the climate and environment issues. Blazing a new path for carrying out the Paris Agreement and resolving the climate crisis, GEI provides a systematic solution to turn the crisis into opportunity and achieve sustainable development.

Liu pointed out that, Energy, as the foundation for socio-economic development, its sustainability is the pillar stone for sustainability of human society. GEI is an energy community that is globally interconnected, jointly constructed and mutually beneficial. It is an important part and carrier of a community of shared future for mankind. With energy as its medium, GEI is able to respond comprehensively to the 17 SDGs of 2030 Agenda and promote coordinated development of energy and economy.

President of Guinea, H.E.Alpha Condé remarked that, humanity is in an era of crises: its survival, health and sustainable development are all under threat. Of the various crises the human has endured, the climate crisis is by far the most urgent. Also, it is more than appropriate for the international community to act in synergy to overcome the difficulties linked to climate issues, for a harmonious, efficient and sustainable preservation of our future.

H.E. Dr. Mohamed Shaker El Markabi said, we should act now to move into a low-carbon future as pledged in the Paris Agreement. These are drivers which lead us to energy transformation which will require changing in the form of production and consumption of electricity.

H.E. Liu Zhenmin pointed out, we are on a dangerous trajectory, with only a short window to tackle this climate crisis. Accelerating energy decarbonization with universal access is a critical means for achieving the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda.

Mr. Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of WMO, pointed out that the current energy consumption is still mainly from coal, oil and natural gas. We need to further increase the proportion of renewable energy in the energy mix. And China's progress in renewable energy is vital to global emissions reduction.

Mr. Mao Weiming, Executive Chairman of SGCC, focusing on building energy interconnection, promoting clean and low-carbon energy transition, and solving the climate and environmental crisis, the SGCC will continue to improve the grid’s capacity for better allocation of energy resources, to make our grid smarter and to increase electrification in end-use consumption, thus embracing a promising future with today’s endeavors.

Mr. Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA remarked that an inclusive, stable and sustainable future is within our reach, if we set the course for a deep energy transition and resist the temptation to bail out the past.

At the forum, the book on Resolving the Crisis was officially published. It reflects on the current major crises facing mankind, revealing that the climate and environment crisis will be the most fatal crisis that humankind will encounter. In response to the challenges and difficulties of resolving the crisis, the book proposes clean development concept and GEI initiative, and illustrates GEI's features and functions in terms of feasibility, technical economy, development methods, and global cooperation. It also explains the great value of GEI in resolving climate and environment crisis, as well as the path of clean and low-carbon development on all continents.

The report on Towards Sustainable Development — Global Energy Interconnection Roadmap to Promote the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was also released on the same day. Based on the research and practice of GEIDCO, the report systematically expounds the role of GEI in realizing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of 2030 Agenda, and proposes ten major actions and six major cooperation mechanisms to provide new ideas and new plans for the all-round implementation of the SDGs.

Apart from that, the Declaration against Crisis sets forth that GEI is an epoch-making energy revolution and a vital path to solve the crisis facing mankind. Through the development of domestic interconnection, intra-continental interconnection, and global interconnection, GEI will fundamentally shift the global energy structure and create a "green earth". The Declaration against Crisis also calls on all mankind to enhance the international consensus on green and low-carbon development, and improve multilateral cooperation mechanisms. Efforts should be made to rein in greenhouse gas emissions with more efficient programs and more pragmatic measures, and accelerate clean energy development and power grid interconnection, thus speeding up the development of GEI and addressing the crisis.