Beijing – September 20, 2026 -- Nearly 400 domestic and international delegates gathered at the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center (BMC) on September 17 as the Beijing Green Development Forum 2026 opened, unveiling a new blue book on the capital's green economy and a standards-led transition initiative backed by more than 20 institutions.
Hosted by Asia Data Group and organized by ADG Expo Group, the forum carried the theme "Green Empowerment, Low-Carbon Symbiosis" and drew support from Global Honorary Partner Huaxia Bank and strategic partner Beijing Energy Holding Co., Ltd. International bodies including the World Green Design Organization, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, and the Center for China & Globalization backed the event.
Beijing releases blue book benchmarking its green economy against Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore
Guo Kun, Deputy Head of the Department of Finance at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), unveiled the "Beijing Green Economy Development Blue Book (2026)," jointly produced with other institutions. The report assesses Beijing's green economy progress and benchmarks it against Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore to inform the city's push to become an international benchmark for green economy development.
Tsinghua-led report distills green economy lessons from Beijing, London, New York, Paris and Tokyo
Xu Ming, Chair Professor of Carbon Neutrality at Tsinghua University's School of Environment, released "Advancing the Urban Green Economy: Shared Insights from Global Cities." Co-authored with researchers from University College London, The City University of New York, Hiroshima University and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, the report maps common pathways drawn from five global cities to guide urban green transition worldwide.
Twenty-plus institutions sign initiative to use standards for dismantling green trade barriers
The "Beijing Initiative on Standards-Led Urban Green Transition" was jointly released by over 20 organizations, including the United Nations Environment Programme, World Green Design Organization, China National Institute of Standardization, Tsinghua University and Renmin University of China. The initiative sets six priority directions, from standards-led foundational support to cross-sector coordination, aiming to steer green technology innovation and reduce trade barriers through mutual recognition of compatible standards.
Beijing officials detail two years of progress across five green economy benchmark domains
Li Xiaotao, Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, presented the city's phased achievements over the past two years across five domains: green technology innovation, green industry cultivation, livable city development, green culture, and international cooperation. The briefing also outlined priorities for the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
Erik Solheim, former UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, praised Beijing's rail transit and new-energy transport systems for enabling a livable green metropolis despite the city's population scale, citing Chengdu, Hangzhou and Shenzhen as additional domestic examples of ecological practice.
Li Junjie, Executive Deputy Director of the BMC Administrative Committee and Secretary of the CPC Tongzhou District Committee, presented plans for BMC's development as a national green development demonstration zone under the forum's newly adopted "1+4+N" framework, which links policy announcements, technology commercialization, industry empowerment, international cooperation and city image promotion.