GEI initiative marks its sixth anniversary, a Chinese solution pioneering world energy transition and sustainable development

This September 26, to mark the sixth anniversary of the proposal of Global Energy Interconnection (GEI) initiative by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Seminar for the Sixth Anniversary of GEI Initiative was held in Beijing. Hosted by GEIDCO, the first international organization in the energy field launched by China, this event aimed to offer better insight into the great value of GEI initiative, take stock of its progress, and discuss key issues regarding further GEI implementation, solution to global challenges and sustainable development. Two monographs on Road to Global Carbon Neutrality and Biodiversity and Revolution of Energy and Electric Power were released by GEIDCO at the seminar, along with a detailed review on the organization’s innovative practice.

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Mr. Liu Zhenya, Chairman of GEIDCO, Foreign Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences(IVA), International Fellow of the UK Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng), and Member of the German Academy of Science and Engineering (Acatech), and Mr. Zhang Zhigang, President of State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) made the keynote address. Other key speakers included Ms. Liu Meng, Head for Asia and Oceania, the United Nations Global Compact, Mr. Yang Yongping, President of North China Electric Power University, and Mr. Lv Tingyan, Executive Vice President of China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG). Representatives from more than 120 different government departments, the UN agencies, embassies, enterprises, associations, universities, and research institutions attended the meeting.

On September 26, 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the GEI initiative, at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit, receiving high praise and extensive support from the international community. Within just six year, the GEI initiative has transformed from a proposal to practical actions, from concept to real implementations, and become a medium for further promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative and a community of a shared future for humankind, ushering in a brand-new landscape of international synergy and accelerated development.

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In his keynote address, Mr. Liu Zhenya remarked that, GEI Initiative, put forward by President Xi Jinping, is a Chinese solution that is built on the innovative practice in China's energy and power sectors and aims to promote sustainable development of humanity. This initiative is forward-looking, scientific and systematic. Years of progress has proved that GEI Initiative points out a direction for global energy development. In line with the ongoing trend of connectivity and global cooperation, it is the right path with profound value. It can help realize global carbon neutrality at lower costs, greater cost-effectiveness and faster pace. It can contribute to advancing comprehensive environmental and biodiversity protection and the building a shared future for all life on Earth. In addition, it can facilitate coordinated economic and social development and environmental protection by taking energy as the interlinkage.

Liu Zhenya said that, since the establishment of GEIDCO, we have been working hard to promote GEI concept among the UN, governments, international organizations, enterprises, institutions, etc., enabling GEI to be included in multiple working frameworks of the UN and major cooperation mechanisms among governments. We have completed the top-level design for GEI covering planning, project, technology, market, and other fields, and promoted a batch of major clean energy and grid interconnection projects. A first-class international organization with global voice, influence and action has taken shape. GEIDCO spent only about five years arriving at where we are now while it could take many international organizations over a decade and even decades. As our comprehensive competence and strength grow, we have become a key force driving international energy cooperation and green and low-carbon development.

Liu Zhenya noted that, the destiny of humanity is intertwined. Only in solidarity and with concerted efforts to combat common challenges based on the principle of win-win cooperation, can we achieve sustainable development for all. Each and every one should lead by example with consciousness and self-discipline, fulfill their respective responsibilities, and alter short-sighted and selfish behaviors that would harm long-term and overall interests of mankind. Only in this way can mankind overcome major resource, environment and climate crises and move towards a bright future of sustainable development.

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Zhang Zhigang pointed out that the GEI initiative provides a feasible solution to resolve problems of this century such as climate change, environmental pollution, and resource shortages. This initiative demonstrates the profound insight and extraordinary foresight of Chinese President Xi Jinping into the development trend of global energy transition. The past six years has witnessed rising global influence and stronger consensus of the GEI initiative in the international community. The promotion of energy infrastructures interconnection and clean and low-carbon transition has become a common choice of countries worldwide. GEIDCO has made fruitful efforts in the global dissemination and implementation of the GEI initiative, and achieved a series of breakthroughs and innovative results in relevant theoretical research, planning, and projects.

Zhang said that energy transition is accelerating globally as countries endeavor to tackle climate change and achieve green economic recovery. As the world's largest public utility enterprise, State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) has always been committed to promoting the energy revolution to create a better life. Based on the conditions of the nation, our enterprise and grid infrastructures, SGCC has made all-out efforts to upgrade the power grid to enable energy interconnection, and promote the use of clean and low-carbon energy. SGCC is operating the world's largest power grid system with the strongest energy allocation capacity and the largest installed capacity of renewable energy. SGCC is striving to be an internationally leading energy interconnection enterprise with Chinese characteristics, and to be a promoter, leader, and pioneer of the clean and low-carbon energy transition through formulating and publishing action plans for carbon emissions peak and carbon neutrality as well as for building new power systems. Looking to the future, SGCC will work with GEIDCO to further spread and implement the GEI initiative, making greater contributions to building a beautiful China and a beautiful planet.

According to the review on GEIDCO’s Innovation Practice, GEIDCO has embarked on a path of innovative development by leveraging Chinese characteristics while emerging as an important international organization in energy and power. Within six years, GEIDCO has made great headways in building an advanced theoretical system and completing a systematic and holistic top-level design for GEI. In the meantime, it has established an open and efficient global working structure, an internationally influential conference brand, and an inclusive development and cooperation platform for all based on the principle of sharing and joint development. It has fostered a high-end think tank in energy and power, and cultivated a high-caliber team. Up to now, GEIDCO has a total of 1,230 members from 134 countries, and has set up 7 regional offices and 65 national representative offices, 6 regional committees and 16 national committees. The World of Energy Interconnection (WEI) digital platform that brings together hundreds of large-scale projects, thousands of organizations, and millions of pieces of information has taken shape. GEIDCO has also carried out more than 200 research projects, released 80-plus innovative achievements, including over 50 monographs and reports, and founded Global Energy Interconnection Journal in both Chinese and English, with the English version included in China Core Journal Alternative Database international EI database.

The review on GEIDCO’s Innovation Practice looks ahead into the future, stating that GEIDCO will accelerate GEI implementation worldwide, and enhance the cooperation among governments, international organizations, industry enterprises, social organizations, and research institutions in terms of policies, finance, technology and standards. By doing so, GEIDCO will accelerate the development of clean energy and transnational power grid interconnection, thus supporting the Belt and Road Initiative, and playing a leading role in energy transition and sustainable development.

Liu Meng said that in the current international environment, interconnection and cooperation are particularly important and should be given top priority by all countries, organizations, and enterprises. The inception and development of GEIDCO has shown us a possibility that non-governmental organizations from China can take root in all parts of the world by connecting the world and strengthening dialogue and cooperation, and that Chinese wisdom and solutions can be recognized by other countries and relevant parties. The United Nations Global Compact looks forward to further cooperating with GEIDCO in concept design, implementation and application, and governance capability, so as to achieve more solid progress for the benefit of the world.

Yang Yongping said that in recent years, North China Electric Power University has made active response to the GEI initiative by launching interdisciplinary majors like energy interconnection and GEI talent training courses, and conducting strategic cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road routes and well-known universities, in a bid to better integrate into the GEI development. GEIDCO is expected to play a more crucial role in the low-carbon energy transition and carbon emissions peak and carbon neutrality in China and around the world. He called on all parties, including government, industry, university, research institute and consumers to step up cooperation based on their own characteristics, and jointly advance GEI for deeper, wider and better implementation.

Lv Tingyan said that GEIDCO has achieved leapfrog development since its establishment and has become a recognizable name card promoting Chinese solution in world energy governance and energy transition. China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) has firmly supported the GEI initiative with practical efforts, focused on the clean energy development, including promoting international operations and cooperation, building more platforms for GEI development, and accumulating experience, expertise and cases for the realization of GEI in three strategic steps. CTG hopes to join hands with GEIDCO to "meet global power demand with clean and green alternatives", thus making greater contributions to building a clean and beautiful world.

The Seminar also released two monographs, The Road to Global Carbon Neutrality and Biodiversity and Revolution of Energy and Electric Power, aiming to provide comprehensive and efficient solutions for carbon neutrality and biodiversity governance. The Road to Global Carbon Neutrality analyzes in depth the grave situation of global climate change, reveals the practical difficulties of each country in carbon mitigation, and elaborates on the ideas, action roadmaps, key measures and comprehensive values of achieving carbon neutrality through GEI. It provides a technically advanced, cost-effective, and mutually beneficial systematic scheme for achieving the temperature control goals of the Paris Agreement. The Biodiversity and Revolution of Energy and Electric Power analyzes the significance and stern challenges of biodiversity protection, as well as the main factors leading to the biodiversity crisis, and reveals that the unsustainable energy development structure dominated by fossil fuels is the main cause of biodiversity loss. It also proposes the new thinking, new plans and action roadmaps for GEI to promote the energy and electric power revolution and conserve biodiversity.