Global exhibitors showcase green innovations and low-carbon goals at CIIE

Green and sustainable development has become a key topic at the ongoing China International Import Expo (CIIE), which closed on Monday in Shanghai, with some exhibitors showcasing cutting-edge green technologies, while others highlighted their low-carbon development goals and action plans.

French manufacturer Michelin, showcasing a tire made of 71 percent sustainable materials, embraces sustainability from booth design and construction to recycling. In addition to prioritizing recyclable materials for the booth setup, Michelin will recycle and regenerate booth materials after the event. The booth waste recycling project is expected to reduce carbon emissions equivalent to 45 flights between Beijing and Shanghai.

Michelin has set a goal for all its tires to be made from 100 percent renewable and recyclable materials by 2050. The research and development team is continuously innovating with materials - from rice husks and orange peels to recycled PET bottles, all of which have been transformed into high-quality tire materials.

Michelin has been deeply involved in the China market for 36 years, with its Shenyang plant celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Aiming to advance green manufacturing transformation, the plant has achieved 100 percent renewable electricity supply and 100 percent industrial wastewater treatment. It is expected to meet conditions for carbon neutrality by 2028, supporting China's dual carbon goals and the company's global green transition.

At its CIIE booth, Incaier, the healthcare arm of Haier Group, hosted a forum on green and low-carbon development, emphasizing its necessity for high-quality development in the new era.

Incaier highlighted that it has integrated green concepts into its entire value chain from product R&D to manufacturing and scenario solutions. By advancing key technologies, the company has launched highly efficient equipment, such as the world's most energy-efficient ultra-low temperature freezers and self-sustaining liquid nitrogen sample libraries.

Notably, its solar vaccine refrigerator solution can reduce carbon emissions by nearly 110,000 metric tons annually, equivalent to carbon neutrality achieved by 3 square kilometers of mature forest.

At the booth of United Kingdom-headquartered AstraZeneca, representatives from the governments of Wuxi and Taizhou, Jiangsu province, and Qingdao, Shandong province, gathered to witness the significant progress made by the company's three major production and supply bases in China as they undergo low-carbon transformations.

"We'd like to manufacture in a sustainable way, as the company aims to achieve net-zero emissions across its entire value chain by 2045," said Tony Pusic, senior vice-president of Supply Asia Pacific at AstraZeneca.

"For example, our Wuxi site has an industry-first clean heat solution in China, whereby we take domestic waste and turn that into biomethane gas. We don't use any fossil natural gas anymore, and have achieved 100 percent use of renewable energy," he added.

The Qingdao site, which is under construction and expected to kick off production by 2028, is designed to be a near-zero carbon facility from day one of operation, using solar panels and heat pumps among others, said Pusic.

Also, AstraZeneca is co-chairing the health working group of the Sustainable Markets Initiative's China Council to accelerate decarbonization across China's health system. A program in the initiative facilitates AstraZeneca and other companies involved to gain access to green electricity. Through this combined power purchase agreement, an estimated annual reduction of carbon emissions by 250,000 metric tons is set to be achieved.