China poised to lead in green and sustainable development

With China entering a new era of green and innovation-led growth, its ambition and pledge to achieve dual carbon goals will necessitate substantial technological advancements and transformative changes within modern industries, said the head of an industrial organization.

As an important pillar industry of the national economy, chemical business plays a crucial role in supporting China in achieving its dual carbon goals with tremendous potential for energy conservation, emission reduction, low-carbon and green production, said Nicolas Poirot, chairman of Association of International Chemical Manufacturers, or the AICM.

The AICM represents nearly 70 major multinational companies, including Air Liquide, BASF, Dow Chemical, ExxonMobil and SABIC, across China's chemical industry. Its members' businesses cover the manufacturing, sales, transportation, distribution and disposal of chemicals.

Under the government's agenda, China's carbon dioxide emissions will peak, stabilize and then decline by 2030, and the country will be carbon neutral and will have a fully established green, low-carbon and circular economy by 2060.

Poirot said that the AICM is committed to further enhancing the practices of Responsible Care - a global chemical industry's voluntary initiative to drive continuous improvement in safe chemicals management and achieve excellence in environmental, health, safety and security performance - in China.

"As a signature program and strong pillar supporting AICM's Responsible Care practice, Open to Public, or the OTP, has also been a communications platform and channel for us to promote the concept of sustainable chemical industry and engage our stakeholders," said the French executive.

AICM and its member companies celebrated the 15th anniversary of OTP in Shanghai in late May, a milestone they have achieved in having conducted transparent and effective communications between the industry and the public, and building closer connections with its partners and communities.

In addition to running their operations safely in accordance with Responsible Care principles, AICM members have also expanded their efforts to drive carbon reduction. Most of them have made pledges and commitments in terms of carbon reduction percentage and timeline.

"These initiatives will facilitate the continuous improvement of our members' environmental, health and safety performance in their operations and products, while also addressing public concerns," he said, adding that the green transformation of international chemical businesses, driven by their global insights, best practices and cutting-edge technologies, will play a crucial role in promoting the sustainable growth of the entire industrial value chain in the years to come.

Driven by China's industrial upgrading and green energy transformation, global companies are poised to leverage innovative digital capabilities, extensive cross-industry expertise and wide-ranging ecosystem partnerships, said Zhang Yongjun, a researcher at Beijing-based China Center for International Economic Exchanges.

He said their objective is to fulfill the potential of technology and human ingenuity, while simultaneously pursuing sustainable development practices.