Walking on the streets of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, the green electric buses tailor-made by the Chinese automaker BYD for the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) are particularly eye-catching, attracting the attention of global participants.
A Chinese new energy brand vehicle driving on the streets of Baku. All photos in this article are by The Paper’s journalist Diao Fanchao.
On November 17, a rest day at COP29, a black NIO electric vehicle parked in the ancient city of Baku, from which COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev emerged to visit this historic site. Previously, NIO had been announced as the designated vehicle brand for VIPs at COP29.
At the United Nations Climate Change Conference, the presence of Chinese enterprises is increasingly visible. As Wang Shi, the founder of Vanke Group and DeepRock Group, and the chairman of the Vanke Public Welfare Foundation, said in an interview with The Paper (www.thepaper.cn), “In the global response to climate change, entrepreneurs play a more significant role. They are willing to see opportunities, take risks, and mobilize resources to maximize benefits.”
At the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Conference, only three entrepreneurs, including Wang Shi, attended. “It was like Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden,” Wang Shi said.
Fifteen years later, according to incomplete statistics, at least 400 Chinese enterprises are participating in COP29. They are here to share the experience of Chinese enterprises in implementing the “dual carbon” goals and, at the same time, leverage this international conference to seek new business opportunities.
“The role of enterprises and entrepreneurs is irreplaceable”
Behind the China Pavilion in the Blue Zone of COP29 is the “Solution Pavilion” of Biosphere 3, organized by Wang Shi. This pavilion is directly oriented towards enterprises, sharing Chinese enterprise solutions.
On November 13, the opening day of Biosphere 3, Liu Zhenmin, China’s Special Envoy for Climate Change, attended and delivered a speech. After his speech, participants took photos with him as a souvenir.
At the opening ceremony of Biosphere 3 on November 13, Liu Zhenmin, China’s Special Envoy for Climate Change, attended and delivered a speech. He said, “In the work of improving the climate, the role of enterprises and entrepreneurs is irreplaceable. The policies and tasks proposed by the United Nations and governments of various countries require the support and participation of enterprises.”
Tailg, as a representative of low-carbon electric mobility in the electric industry, was invited to attend the “High-Level Forum on South-South Cooperation in Responding to Climate Change” to discuss low-carbon mobility and a green future with representatives from various countries. Yao Li, President of Tailg Group, shared that with the guidance and support of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the “Belt and Road” center, Tailg’s electric mobility pilot projects have successfully landed in Kenya, Thailand, the Philippines, and other places. Through close cooperation with local partners, Tailg’s electric mobility solutions have helped alleviate traffic pressure and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
For example, Tailg has assisted in the electrification of postal services in the Philippines, promoted low-carbon transportation in Thailand, and driven the green transformation of industries such as food delivery and passenger transportation. In the African market, the TK90 electric motorcycle jointly developed with KOFA in Ghana has effectively reduced usage costs by 30% through its interchangeable lithium-ion battery pack.
The “Africa Light Belt” project is one of the important topics at the China Pavilion of COP29. The “Africa Light Belt” project aims to promote energy transition and sustainable development through the development of photovoltaic energy and is an important part of the “South-South Cooperation” plan.
Tailg electric vehicles assist in the electrification of postal services in the Philippines. Photo from: Tailg Group’s official WeChat account.
Yao Li believes that Tailg’s electric mobility technology aligns well with Africa’s low-carbon economic development goals, demonstrating broad prospects for cooperation, especially the “Africa Light Belt” project, which has great potential for development.
Accelerating Energy Justice Transition with Green Innovation
Longi Green Energy has participated in the United Nations Climate Change Conference for the sixth consecutive time. At this conference, they advocated for promoting energy equity through green innovation and shared Longi’s story about “energy equity” at a side event, discussing how to help climate-vulnerable regions enhance their climate resilience.
Why focus on the stage of the Climate Conference?
She Haifeng, Vice President of Longi Green Energy, said in an interview with The Paper (www.thepaper.cn) that new energy enterprises represented by Longi not only help mitigate climate change but also promote energy transition and sustainable development by providing clean energy products and solutions, investing in emission reduction and zero-carbon projects, etc.
“We look forward to participating in the COP29 conference to promote global energy equity and the development of renewable energy. At the same time, we also hope to contribute to building a longer-term and more sustainable future through our own efforts,” She Haifeng said.
Why emphasize energy equity?
She Haifeng believes that facing climate change and environmental issues, the global energy transition is imminent. However, due to the different development processes of various economies, this means that while promoting the energy transition, it is necessary to consider differences in resource endowments and development stages to ensure economic, environmental, and social sustainable development.
He believes that energy equity is related to clean, affordable, and non-discriminatory energy services globally. “In 2023, Longi signed a global partnership agreement with the United Nations Refugee Agency because we saw that in 2022, the number of people displaced by climate-related disasters reached a record high of 31.8 million, with 40% of refugees living in highly climate-vulnerable host countries. Climate change is exacerbating other factors leading to displacement, such as increasing poverty, food insecurity, water scarcity, and difficulty in accessing natural resources that other communities depend on for survival. 85% of the displaced population in refugee camps burn biomass such as firewood for cooking, and about 97% have no or only limited electricity access.”
With the in-depth advancement of global carbon neutrality goals, clean energy represented by photovoltaic is gradually becoming the backbone of the global energy transition. Especially, technology and manufacturing attributes have continuously improved the cost competitiveness of photovoltaic, rapidly driving the energy transition process.
“Currently, the cost of photovoltaic power generation has decreased by more than 90%, making photovoltaic the most economical power source for the majority of countries worldwide. It is affordable for everyone, and the issue of global energy equity seems to have a new solution,” She Haifeng said. With the continuous development of photovoltaic technology, the cost of photovoltaic power generation has rapidly decreased, making it the most economical power source for the majority of countries and regions globally. Its sustainability, affordability, fairness, and safety provide an excellent solution to help achieve global energy equity.
South-South Cooperation Facilitates Green Energy Transition
At the side event themed “Dialoguing with the World, Building a Zero-Carbon Future Ecosystem,” Liu Zhenmin proposed four working directions for achieving global carbon neutrality: First, deploying a renewable energy-led energy system globally on a large scale; Second, considering that the global energy transition cannot completely detach from fossil fuels, it is necessary to accelerate technological innovation and ensure clean utilization of fossil fuels that must be retained; Third, protecting ecosystems and strengthening the cultivation and conservation of carbon sink resources such as forests, wetlands, and oceans; Fourth, changing production and lifestyle across society to practice low-carbon living.
Slogan inside the COP29 venue.
China provides 70% of the world’s photovoltaic modules and 60% of wind power equipment. Regarding cooperation with developing countries, Liu Zhenmin pointed out that both China and Indonesia have coal-dominated energy structures and are developing countries with huge energy demands. Both countries face common difficulties and challenges in energy transition. China is willing to share experiences with developing countries such as Indonesia to support energy transition in Asia. Finally, the special envoy called on all parties to deepen cooperation, jointly promote the global energy transition, actively participate in global climate action, and strive to achieve a zero-carbon future for the world.
John Cotton, Senior Project Manager of the Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership at the United Nations Office for Project Services, highly praised China’s successful experience in the field of renewable energy and called for introducing the technology transfer model to Southeast Asia. He pointed out that China’s technological innovations in renewable energy and new energy vehicles provide valuable experience for the global energy transition. Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines need to achieve energy transition through technology transfer and international investment, and China’s technological support is crucial for the energy transition in Southeast Asia. He called on China and other international partners to strengthen cross-border cooperation and jointly build a green future by sharing technology and experience.
Paul Butarbutar, head of the Secretariat of the Just Transition Partnership in Indonesia, said in an interview with The Paper (www.thepaper.cn) that strengthening international cooperation is key to promoting the green energy transition. He mentioned that the cooperation between Indonesia and China in low-carbon development and renewable energy has shown great potential. The Indonesian government highly values energy transition and is formulating active policy plans, including promoting clean energy technologies such as solar photovoltaic, to achieve more sustainable economic development.
He called on the international community, especially neighboring countries