Global sustainability association to launch UN platform at COP30, enlist more Chinese firms, GeSI CEO says

The Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) and China's tech giant Tencent will officially launch a United Nations platform at the COP30 UN climate conference in Brazil to better connect climate-related needs with innovative company solutions. 

This information was disclosed by Luis Neves, CEO of GeSI, a Brussels-based business association focused on the role of digital technology in sustainability, in a recent interview with China Daily during his visit to China. 

Developed for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change by GeSI, the platform — for which Tencent serves as technology provider — will be opened to all GeSI members as well as other Chinese, European and global companies. This will be a major marketplace for innovations that meet human needs, he said. 

Currently, GeSI has around 50 major corporate members, predominantly from Europe and the United States, with only seven hailing from the Chinese mainland, including Huawei, ZTE, Mentech and Fiberhome, he said. 

But he said the association aims to attract more Chinese companies and establish a permanent presence in China, considering that the country has been a key player in the global economy and sustainability efforts.

Since his first trip to China in 2002, Neves said he has seen amazing development in terms of innovation in many different sectors, particularly the digital industry. 

No other industry has evolved as quickly as the digital sector, which has been enhancing sustainability and growth opportunities, leading to improvements in the environment, education, healthcare, building efficiency, mobility, and power infrastructure, he stressed. 

"So all of these are driven by the deployment of the great innovations that have been developed by many Chinese companies," he said. 

He said he has not seen any country in the world make so much progress as China has done, and many other countries could learn a lot from these new developments in China.

Neves expressed high expectation for Chinese companies in the UN platform to be launched at COP30, which is also anticipated to create conditions for policymakers and cities to better understand the role of digital technologies. 

"I expect them to bring there their practical, scalable innovations into the UN platform, including efficient energy systems, AI solutions, and sector-specific green technologies, and engage with global partners within GeSI's network, such as Google, Cisco, Veeizon and IBM," he said.