Release Date: June 29, 2023
Source: UNIDO ITPO Shanghai
To further implement green and low-carbon development concepts, advance the sustainable upgrading of the entire food industry chain, and accelerate the delivery of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Forum on Green, Low-carbon and Low Water Footprint Development for the Food Industry was successfully held at the North Bund, Hongkou District on June 28. Co-hosted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization Investment and Technology Promotion Office Shanghai (UNIDO ITPO Shanghai) and Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd., and supported by the Hongkou District Commission of Commerce, the event gathered more than 40 representatives from leading enterprises, authoritative research institutions and industrial platforms across the food value chain to explore innovative low-carbon and water-saving solutions and discuss high-quality green development of the industry.
Zhao Xiaolei, Director of UNIDO ITPO Shanghai, Zhao Xin, Vice President of Yili Group, and Wu Zhiyong, Director of Hongkou District Commission of Commerce, attended the forum. Sino-European Carbon Neutrality served as the official media partner of the event, focusing on green transformation trends and disseminating cutting-edge industrial concepts. The forum achieved fruitful results on-site. Jitan (Shanghai) Technology Co., Ltd. signed a cooperation agreement with Yili Group and officially became one of the initiating entities of the Low Water Footprint Initiative. In total, 36 strategic partners and 4 authoritative institutions joined the initiative through on-site signing, jointly fostering a new pattern of low-carbon and water-efficient development in the food industry.
As one of the key industrial docking activities following the UNIDO Global 2022 Awards, the forum was jointly launched by award-winning benchmark enterprises and UNIDO ITPO Shanghai. It aims to build a platform for international technological innovation and industrial cooperation, promote the implementation and transformation of low-carbon and water-saving technologies, and deepen international sustainable cooperation in the food sector.
In her opening speech, Zhao Xiaolei affirmed Yili Group’s long-term commitment to green development and value creation for society. She pointed out that Yili’s vision is highly consistent with UNIDO’s core philosophy of inclusive and sustainable industrial development. The gathering of leading enterprises and research institutions at the North Bund to explore innovative green development models will set a benchmark for the industry’s low-carbon transformation and effectively advance the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
As the co-organizer of the forum, Yili Group is a Top 30 Case Enterprise of UNIDO Global 2022 and a leading practitioner of sustainable development in China’s food industry. During the 2023 UN Water Conference, the Low Water Footprint Initiative (LWFi) proposed by Yili was officially approved, making Yili the first Chinese enterprise to commit to and join the UN Water Action Agenda. In his speech, Zhao Xin stated that as an industry leader, Yili has pioneered an integrated development solution covering both carbon footprint and water footprint. The enterprise actively undertakes social responsibilities, drives upstream and downstream partners in the industrial chain to overcome challenges and pursue innovative sustainable practices, and promotes the high-quality sustainable development of the entire food industry chain.
Wu Zhiyong delivered a promotion speech on Hongkou’s superior business environment and cooperative opportunities. He introduced that the North Bund has witnessed accelerated agglomeration of headquarters economy and high-end commerce, attracting global enterprises and advancing the construction of an international-level consumption cluster. Currently, Hongkou is building a dual-drive platform for commercial and business development, continuously optimizing business services to empower coordinated growth between enterprises and regional carriers. Hongkou District welcomes high-end green and low-carbon enterprises to settle in and develop at the North Bund to share new regional development opportunities and jointly build a highland for green industries.
The keynote speech session featured in-depth sharing from industry experts and scholars on low-carbon, water-saving and sustainable development practices in the food industry. Liu Rui, Associate Researcher at the Institute of Food and Nutrition Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, delivered a speech titled “Practicing the Grand Food Concept and Building a Sustainable Food System”, analyzing industrial challenges and providing innovative ideas for constructing a green and sustainable food system. Dr. Cui Yanxiang from China State Construction International Holdings Limited, representative of the UNIDO Global Call 2022 champion project in agriculture and food sectors, shared innovative technologies in organic resource recycling to support waste recycling, cost reduction and efficiency improvement in the food industry. Professor Wang Hongtao from the UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development shared advanced concepts and practical methods for sustainable water resource management. Xi Xiaobo, Director of LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd., elaborated on the vital role of photovoltaic power in advancing SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), providing new pathways for clean energy replacement and low-carbon transformation in the food industry.
The highlight of the forum, a roundtable dialogue themed “Sustainable Development of Low Carbon and Water Footprint”, was hosted by Liu Guozhen, Founder of Sino-European Carbon Neutrality and Secretary-General of the China-Europe Federation for Science, Technology, Education, Innovation and Industry. Eight leading low-carbon enterprise representatives participated in the dialogue, including Huang Zhibo, Chairman of Shanghai Nengyu Technology Co., Ltd.; Jiang Guangjun, Deputy General Manager of Youran Pasture; Li Fei, Deputy Director of CDP China; Xu Shaohai, Deputy General Manager of Ningbo Weland Renewable Energy Co., Ltd.; Zou Fengxian, Vice President of Bureau Veritas; Li Hanjun, Deputy Chief Engineer of CAICT Shanghai Industrial Innovation Center; Hu Hao from Nanjing Cigu Technology Co., Ltd.; and Dai Dan from Tetra Pak (China). Centering on the whole industrial chain of food production, processing, operation and inspection, the guests conducted in-depth discussions on low-carbon technological innovation, efficient water resource utilization, dual-footprint management and coordinated industrial chain decarbonization, sharing cutting-edge technological achievements and practical experience to deliver diversified and implementable solutions for the green and low-carbon, low water-footprint transformation of the food industry.
The successful holding of the forum has further built a high-quality platform for industry-university-research cooperation and international exchange in the food sector, consolidated consensus on industrial green transformation, delivered a number of low-carbon and water-saving cooperation projects, and expanded the industrial matrix of the Low Water Footprint Initiative. Moving forward, UNIDO ITPO Shanghai will continue to collaborate with leading enterprises, research institutions and industrial platforms to advance green low-carbon and water-efficient development, promote the implementation and transformation of innovative technologies and high-quality projects, facilitate the full-chain green upgrading of the food industry, and contribute Chinese strength to global industrial sustainable development.
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