NEWS

On 24th November, 2023, Wang Yi, the Foreign Minister of China, and his French counterpart Catherine Colonna attended the opening ceremony of the China-France Carbon Neutrality Center and delivered speeches. Professor Zhao, Liang from the School of Sustainable Energy and Resources of Nanjing University, a member of the Chinese expert group, was invited to participate in this launch event.

The establishment of the center is a key agreement reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron, said Wang Yi. In the past six months, with joint efforts from both sides, the China-France Carbon Neutrality Center has evolved from a concept to reality. Its official launch on the eve of the United Nations Climate Change Submit in Dubai sends a strong signal of the two countries working together to advance green technology and respond to climate change.

Colonna said dealing with climate change and protecting biodiversity are the mutual agreement reached by the heads of the two countries and are the key contents for pragmatic cooperation. The opening of the center reflects both countries' ambition to promote low-carbon development, protect the environment and serve the common interests of humanity. The French site is willing to strengthen communications with the Chinese side and make the Dubai summit a success, Colonna said.

The China-France Carbon Neutrality Center is the first such center China has established with a foreign government. At the current stage, the center will be constructed in a virtual form. It will focus on areas such as agriculture, biodiversity, and the environment. To promote long-term scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and French research institutions in the field of carbon neutrality, the center will organize bilateral activities such as the annual meetings of the China-France Carbon Neutrality Center, joint seminars, academic conferences, and funding for collaborative research. These activities aim to bring together collective wisdom, enhance consensus, form combined force of technological innovation from both countries and inject new momentum into achieving carbon neutrality.