Shanghai, 17 April 2021-During the China Carbon Neutral University Campus Forum held in Tongji University in Shanghai, on Saturday, 17 April, 2021, 44 universities in China join the global and national ambition for carbon neutrality by releasing the Declaration on Carbon Neutrality of Chinese universities.

Prof. Jiang Wu, member of French Academy of Architecture and former Executive President of Tongji University opened the forum to welcome the representatives from government, industry and academic sectors. Mr. Sam Barrat, the Chief of UNEP education sector send a video message and expressed his firm commitment to work closely with campuses in China to decarbonize higher education system.

Mr. Deying Li, Vice President of China Association of Building and Energy Efficiency, Mr. Xiaomao Zhang, Deputy Director of Shanghai Municipal Administration of Office Affairs, Mr. Xu Zhang, Director of Logistics Department of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission also shared opening remarks and made commitment from different perspectives.

In their keynote speeches, Prof. Hongchun Zhou, Director of Social Development Research Department, State Council Policy Research Center, Prof. Linmin Chai, Director of Strategic Planning Research Department of the Climate Center under Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Prof. Hongwei Tan, Secretary General of China Green University network (CGUN), Dr. Hao Liang, Director of Science and Technology Development Promotion Center of Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Mr. Kang Qi, Deputy Chief Engineer of Shanghai Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction Center, and Dr. Xin Wang, the Head of Huawei Smart Energy, discussed the roadmap to carbon neutrality from national, city, campus level, and how technology can be the backbone of this process.

Prof. Fengting Li, the Deputy Executive Dean of UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development (IESD) and Prof. Hongwei Tan moderated the session.

The declaration was already signed by 44 universities in China including Tongji University, Zhejiang University, University of Science and Technology of China, who all committed to reach carbon neutral before 2050, which is ten years earlier than China’s national target on 2060.

The forum also launched the Chinese version of “The Little Book of Green Nudges”. This book is a first-rate example of how the written word can be used to identify opportunities, target communities and motivate individuals to take active steps to both change their behavior and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions on campus.

You can download both English and Chinese version of the “Little Book of Green Nudges” here:

English version: