Organized by Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance (SLU) and the Commission on Resources and Environmental Economics of the China Economic Annual Conference, and undertaken by the SLU School of International Economics and Trade,the 2022 Economic Forum on Energy and Environment of the China Economic Annual Conference was held on June 18th and 19th, under the theme “Green Development for Carbon Peak and Neutralization and Common Prosperity”. The forum was supported by academic journals such asChina & World Economy,The Journal of World Economy,Economic Science,China Journal of Economics,World Economic PapersandAccounting and Economic Research. It was virtually attended by more than 300 experts and scholars from dozens of universities in China, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Yale University, Wuhan University, Sun Yat-sen University, Tianjin University, Duke Kunshan University and SLU. And the forum was live broadcast.
Yang Li, Vice Chair of the CPC Committee and President, warmly welcomed the experts and scholars attending theforum, and introduced the main achievements ofSLUand the School of International Economics and Trade in scientific research in recent years. Yang said that China’s grand goals of peaking carbon by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 are a solemn commitment to the world, which is bound to brew a broad and profound economic and social change. Against the background of accelerating the realization of common prosperity, how to promote the green transformation of China’s economy, ecological civilization and high-quality development has given Chinese energy and environmental economists a new historical mission. Heexpectedthe experts and scholars to provoke their thoughts, gather consensus and jointly offer suggestions for promoting China’s energy and environmental economic development.
On behalf of the forum, Peking University Professor and Secretary-General of the China Economic Annual Conference Yang Rudai, and Fudan University Professor and Director of the Commission on Resources and Environmental Economics of the China Economic Annual Conference Chen Zhao, expressed their heartfelt thanks for the meticulous arrangement and considerate service made by SLU in organizing this forum, and said that the talents specializing in energy and environmentaleconomicswouldoffer many unique lessons by brainstorming in economics, energy and environmental science.
In the keynote speech part, Zhang Zhongxiang, Dean and Distinguished Professor of Ma Yinchu School of Economics of Tianjin University and Dean of the China Academy of Energy, Environmental and Industrial Economics, delivered a speech titled “The Impact and Inspiration of Coal Power Withdrawal, Carbon Market Building and EU Carbon Tariffs on China”, focusing on the process, problems and prospects of China’s carbon market building against the “dual carbon” background. Professor Zhang proposed that the development of China’s carbon market needs to be coordinated with the reform of the electricity price system, and the system connecting the electricity market with the carbon market should be established. In the process of achieving “carbon peak”, we should focus on the production side, the user side and the policy side, give play to the leading role of the central government in planning and overall deployment, and develop implementation plans and support systems for “carbon peak” in key industries and fields such as energy, industry, transportation, new infrastructure and construction, so as to enable all regions to achieve the goal of implementing local policies and achieving carbon peak. Zhang Junjie, Director of the Sustainable Investment Research Project of Duke Kunshan University and Associate Professor of the Nicholas School of the Environment of Duke University, delivered the report titled “The Impact of the Carbon Market on Business Competitiveness”, where he introduced in detail the theoretical system of how the carbon market affects business competitiveness. At the same time, based on the efficiency of the carbon market and the causal relationship between the emissions trading system and business competitiveness, he shared his team’s recent series of research results from the perspective of the financial attributes of China’s carbon market, business emissions and competitiveness, low-carbon innovation and carbon leakage.
At the round table, three experts, Zhang Zhongxiang, Zhang Junjie and Chen Zhao, engaged in discussions over “Energy and Environment: Theory and China’s Practice”. Based on the current international background, Professor Zhang Zhongxiang expounded his views on global low-carbon transformation, energy security and other issues. Professor Zhang Junjie discussed how to strengthen the impact of environmental economics theory research on policies. Professor Chen Zhao said that China as a major developing country needs to strike a balance between economic growth and environmental regulation from the perspective of policy practicality.
In the presentation part, the scholars communicated in the subforums such as the “English Paper Subforum”, the “Environmental Economics Subforum” and the “Energy Economy Subforum”. 105 papers were submitted to the forum. Through multiple rounds of expert review, 19 quality papers were selected, covering a range of important topics in the energy, environmental and economic fields such as environmental regulation, business emission reduction, green finance, and energy security. The experts shared their insightful views, and the participants spoke enthusiastically. The atmosphere of discussion was open and warm.
The China Economic Annual Conference is one of the most prestigious academic conferences in China’s economic circle. This forum has contributed tremendously to the research and practice of some issues concerning China’s energy and environmental economy, and helped raised the academic influence of SLU’s applied economics.
Photo by Li Weiping
