Cooperation can address global green challenges

There is significant potential for Sino-French environmental and climate cooperation, and such cooperation can generate synergy that leads to more effective and innovative solutions to global environmental challenges, according to a senior French executive.

Christophe Maquet, senior executive vice-president of French environmental solutions provider Veolia Group, made the remarks in an exclusive interview with China Daily in the lead-up to President Xi Jinping's visit to France, Serbia and Hungary from May 5 to 10.

Maquet, who is also director of Veolia's Asia-Pacific Zone and CEO of Veolia China, noted that the company has been a significant participant in China's environmental sector since the early 1990s.

From urban water and waste services, Veolia quickly expanded its scope in the country to include all its business sectors — water, waste, renewable energy and energy management, he said.

With over 11,000 employees in China, Veolia offers comprehensive environmental services across more than 100 sites in over 40 cities for municipal and industrial clients on the Chinese mainland, he said.

In China last year, Veolia provided 15 million people with drinking water, recycled 46,095 metric tons of plastics and treated 55 million tons of industrial wastewater, he said. Through its expertise in water, waste and energy, Veolia avoided carbon emissions in China to the tune of more than 880,000 tons.

Last year, the company signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Center for International Economic and Technological Cooperation, an affiliate of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

The agreement aims to deepen the collaboration between the two entities to accelerate green industry transformation. A key focus of it is to promote industrial green low-carbon transformation, Maquet said. This involves sharing and implementing best practices, technologies and solutions that enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in industrial processes.

"The strategic cooperation agreement represents a significant step in leveraging Veolia's global expertise and the Chinese government's commitment to sustainable and green initiatives," he said.

Veolia is also cooperating with Xinhui Industrial Park in Jiangmen, Guangdong province. In March, CIETC supported Veolia and its partners in holding a forum on plastic recycling, sharing their experience in building a green supply chain.

Maquet believes President Xi's visit to France will provide new opportunities for Sino-French cooperation in environmental protection and addressing climate change.

"I am convinced so, especially considering that climate and environment protection have been a priority for both China and France," he noted.

Based on the experience and insights from Veolia's operations in China, he noted several areas that hold significant potential for environmental and climate cooperation between the two countries, including resource recycling and circular economy, carbon reduction and energy.

The two countries' cooperation on resource recycling and the circular economy can include initiatives such as establishing recycling centers and promoting a circular economy, which aligns with both French and Chinese objectives to reduce pollution and increase resource efficiency, he said.

Decarbonization is an important area for both France and China, he continued. This involves deploying innovative technologies and solutions such as CCUS (carbon capture, use and storage) to reduce carbon footprints, aligning with China's climate targets for peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060.

"In terms of energy, both countries are expected to cooperate further to accelerate the transition toward renewable energy, including biomass, wind power, solar energy, hydrogen, geothermal, etc., to fulfill their promises of carbon neutrality," he said.

"Both China and France are influential global players. Their cooperation on environmental issues can set an example for other nations, particularly in policymaking, technological innovation and commitment to international agreements like the Paris Agreement," Maquet said.

Sino-French cooperation can facilitate green technology exchanges and promote economic growth in the green sector, he said, adding that cooperation can generate synergy that leads to more effective and innovative solutions to global environmental challenges.

"Cooperation between China and France benefits the two nations and contributes to global efforts to combat climate change and protect the environment for future generations," he said.