From July 18 to 20, the 2nd International Conference on Climate Leadership, jointly hosted by Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), University College London (UCL), and the Chinese Economic Association UK/Europe, was held at HIT. More than 300 participants, including experts and scholars from 23 countries and regions and 111 universities, representatives of international organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), business representatives, representatives of domestic and international authoritative academic journals, and faculty and student representatives of HIT, attended the conference. Professor Yanhui Liu, Vice Chair of the HIT Council and Secretary of the CPC HIT Commission for Discipline Inspection, delivered a speech at the conference. The conference released the Climate Leadership Initiative.

Professor Rosalie L. Tung, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada; Professor Xuemei Bai, Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia; Professor Richard S. J. Tol, Member of the Academy of Europe; Professor Gbenga Ibikunle, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh; Professor Marc Gruber, former Editor-in-Chief of the Academy of Management Journal; Professor Ruben Enikolopov, Editor-in-Chief of the Review of Economic Studies; Mr. Zhijia Wang, former Deputy Director of the Division of Regional Cooperation, United Nations Environment Programme; Mr. Junfeng Li, Executive Council Member of the China Energy Research Society; Dr. Chaode Ma, Assistant Resident Representative of UNDP China, delivered speeches at the conference. Professor Gang Yu, Fellow of Engineering New Zealand, and Professor Zhifu Mi, Member of the Academy of Europe, attended the conference. Professor Tao Ma, Dean of the HIT Business School, presided over the opening ceremony.

Conference Scene

Professor Yanhui Liu stated that China has always been a participant, contributor, and leader in global ecological civilization construction, as well as a steadfast actor in global climate governance. HIT has always taken serving national strategies and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind as its mission, and is accelerating its progress toward the forefront of world-class universities. This conference not only builds a high-level international exchange platform for global climate governance but will also provide strong intellectual support for deepening international climate cooperation, promoting regional climate actions, and fostering green, low-carbon technological innovation. He looks forward to continuing to join hands with global partners to consolidate consensus through academic platforms, root foundations through talent cultivation, and drive transformation through cross-border collaboration, contributing more Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to global ecological governance.

At the conference, Professor Yanhui Liu read out the Climate Leadership Initiative jointly proposed by HIT and UNDP, advocating that all parties join hands to build an international cooperation network for climate leadership, strengthen collaborative innovation in climate technologies, and contribute to global climate governance and the common well-being of humanity.

Professor Yanhui Liu Delivering a Speech

This conference aims to create an interdisciplinary and cross-sector high-end exchange platform for global scholars, policymakers, industry leaders, and young talents to jointly discuss the key role of climate leadership at different levels, sectors, and regions. The conference set up keynote reports, a UNDP session, an international organizations session, a journal editors session, and 6 parallel thematic seminarscovering enterprise green transformation and digital efficiency enhancement, climate risk governance and green finance innovation, climate policy and global collaborative governance, energy transition and low-carbon technological innovation, impacts of climate change and vulnerability response, and ecosystem resilience and resource sustainable governance. Participants conducted in-depth discussions on topics such as the theory and evolution of climate leadership, corporate climate strategies and sustainable business, economics and policy of climate change, mass media and climate communication, net-zero emissions and household behavior transformation, urban transformation and climate security, and the climate cognition-action gap, forming multiple academic consensuses and reaching several cooperation intentions.

Professor Chao Shen, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Division (Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs), HIT, presided over the closing ceremony.

Keynote Speeches

Conference Hosts

United Nations Development Programme Session

International Organizations Session

Journal Editors Session

Parallel Thematic Seminars

The conference received more than 400 academic paper submissions from home and abroad. After review by the academic committee, 10 Best Paper Awards and 6 Best Poster Awards were selected, of which HIT won 2 Best Paper Awards.

Award Ceremony

Professor Rosalie L. Tung, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada:

“This is the second time HIT has hosted this conference. I find it excellent. The university has advantages in technology, innovation, and business, and is playing an important leadership role in actively promoting and communicating the importance of climate change.”

Professor Xuemei Bai, Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia:

“HIT focuses on the theme of Technovation-Business and climate leadership, combining science with enterprise management, which can better promote more enterprises to scientifically set higher goals that are more beneficial to human well-being and take actions for them.”

Professor Marc Gruber, former Editor-in-Chief of the Academy of Management Journal:

“Climate leadership is a complex, systemic issue that requires pooling forces from all parties to provide different perspectives for joint discussion. This is exactly what HIT is doing, and doing very well.”

Dr. Chaode Ma, Assistant Resident Representative of UNDP China:

“From technical exchanges, specific project cooperation, sharing of research progress, and capacity building, I feel this conference has achieved greater pragmatism, higher efficiency, and stronger promotion of action implementation. It is a great honor to do such meaningful work together with HIT.”