Nearly 60 local NGO practitioners participated in the 3rd Power for Blue Skies workshop held by Clean Air Asia (CAA) and the Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology Foundation (SEE) on June 16.
The workshop is part of the Power for Blue Skies Project, in which NGOs were invited to apply for multiple forms of support including professional guidance, capacity building, and financial aid, provided by CAA and SEE.
A review of applications submitted has already started and the results will be announced shortly.
Launched in 2020, the project has supported nine environmental protection projects over the past two years, in areas with high air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
This year, the organizers focused on how NGOs could tackle air pollution and promote low-carbon transformation in the coal, steel, petrochemical and cement industries.
Professor Wang Zhixuan from North China Electric Power University emphasized that for the power industry, the key challenge is to promote a new power system under the premise of ensuring stable power supply.
Liu Tao, director of the Environmental Protection Center of the Metallurgical Industry Planning and Research Institute, pointed out that the steel industry is facing severe challenges to reduce air pollutant and carbon dioxide emissions, and stated that the industry would prioritize promoting high-quality ultra-low emission standards.
For the petrochemical industry, Zhang Gangfeng, deputy director of the Engineering Technology Center of the Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences, called for the coordination of all sectors to promote carbon emission reduction at all stages of the petrochemical process. He encouraged environmental NGOs to provide professional support for industry technical exchanges and cooperation.
Fan Yongbin, deputy secretary general of China Cement Association, said that outdated capacity and outdated technologies used by the cement industry are still getting in the way of reducing carbon emissions, a problem that needs to be solved through policy formulation and technological innovation.
Wen Lizhao, senior partner at Jincheng Tongda & Neal law firm, encouraged environmental NGOs to participate more in corporate information disclosure and third-part supervision.
