The 2023 Pudong Returned Scholars Forum involves discussions on sustainable development. [Photo/WeChat ID: pdnews]

The 2023 Pudong Returned Scholars Forum and the third International Talent Entrepreneurship and Innovation Forum recently took place at the Pudong International Talent Hub in Shanghai's Pudong New Area.

With the theme "Gathering Energy for Sustainable Development and Building a Green World", the forum is aimed at addressing the challenges faced by returned scholars in green, environmentally friendly, and low-carbon industries while promoting the development of a sustainable and eco-friendly economic system.

Yu Bing, vice-president of the Shanghai Overseas Returned Scholars Association, highlighted the forum's focus on sustainable development and its role in providing a better platform for scientific and technological innovation talents in the field.

According to the Pudong Association of Science and Technology, many experts and scholars from Shanghai and surrounding cities in the Yangtze River Delta region were invited to the forum. Their discussions on the domestic and overseas innovation ecosystem in the field of sustainable development facilitated growth, cooperation, and exchange among scientific and technological innovation enterprises led by returned scholars in Pudong.

During the main forum, experts delivered insightful speeches on various topics, including green technology, financial investment opportunities, and the digital management of enterprises.

Zhang Aiping, president of the Zhangjiang Industrial Engineering Institute, delivered a speech on "The Logic and Practice of Zhangjiang: Low Carbon, Environmental Protection, and Ecological Development". He introduced how Pudong's Zhangjiang area incorporates the concept of green development into its parks.

Yu, also chairman and general manager of Shanghai Tanzhiheng Energy Technology, analyzed industrial technological paths under carbon emissions control strategies.

In his keynote speech, Yu Zhengyi, an expert in electric power at Beyondsoft, said that the combination of enterprise digitalization and dual carbon governance can help create a better low-carbon future.

Yang Baoming, dean of the Tongji Cowin Institute, joined the forum through a video link and shared his observations and thoughts from the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. He proposed a summary of suggestions regarding upgrade dimensions, self-breakthroughs, global destiny, simplicity, problem orientation, fairness and efficiency, consumer responsibility, carbon offsetting, and market mechanisms for environmental protection.

Parallel sessions were held on sustainable agriculture and food, clean energy and sustainable lifestyles, and green retail recycling, where experts from different fields shared advanced concepts and technologies, fostering in-depth discussions.

The forum's commitment to a "green" world extended beyond discussions, with eco-friendly practices integrated into the event. Green badges made from hydroponic cultivation, coffee cups made from straw and coffee grounds, and the elimination of printed materials demonstrated the dedication to low-carbon and environmentally friendly practices.