Photo： Courtesy of the State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company

On October 17, the event "UN Global Compact at 25: Visiting State Grid" was held at the State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company. The UN Global Compact's Representative in China, Consuls General of countries including Fiji and the Philippines in Shanghai, as well as representatives from the State Grid, academic institutions, and Chinese and foreign enterprises gathered together to discuss green development and pool wisdom and strength for advancing global green, low-carbon, and sustainable development goals. This marks the first time that the UN Global Compact has entered a Chinese central State-owned enterprise.

As the world's largest international organization promoting corporate social responsibility and sustainable development, the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) is committed to mobilizing global enterprises and stakeholders to jointly implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through responsible business practices and promote the building of a more inclusive and sustainable global economy. Currently, the organization covers more than 180 countries and regions and counts over 25,000 corporate participants and other stakeholders. As a large State-owned key backbone enterprise, the State Grid has been actively fulfilling its membership responsibilities since joining the UN Global Compact in 2006. It continuously promotes green energy transition and climate action, becoming a crucial force in advancing the construction of a global sustainable modern energy system.

To deepen exchanges in the field of sustainable development and build consensus on global corporate actions, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the UN Global Compact and the 20th anniversary of State Grid officially becoming a UNGC member, the UN Global Compact organized the first "Visiting State Grid" event, inviting UNGC member enterprises and international friends to visit State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company. The event focused on the theme of "Exploring Green Energy to Empower Green Lifestyles and Innovating for Sustainable Development." Through roundtable forums and on-site visits, in-depth dialogues were conducted to understand the State Grid's sustainable practices and experience in ensuring energy and electricity safety and promoting green transition, while calling on more Chinese enterprises to engage in sustainable development actions.

In the "Carbon Path Insights" roundtable forum, a wonderful intellectual feast about the green future unfolded. Experts, scholars, and enterprise representatives from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, State Grid, Suzhou Botree Cycling Sci & Tech Co., Ltd, and the Global Economic Development Alliance conducted in-depth exchanges on green energy transition. From perspectives such as corporate operations, international cooperation, and academic research, all parties engaged in discussions on key topics including global climate governance, energy strategic layout, and low-carbon transition services, reaching consensus and providing diversified thoughts and references for exploring the future path of sustainable development.

During the event, State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company released the "Joint Initiative of Chinese and Foreign Carbon Inclusiveness Cooperation Enterprises to Accelerate Progress Towards Carbon Neutrality." This initiative advocates for relevant international organizations and Chinese and foreign enterprises to comprehensively strengthen the alignment of policy elements, jointly promote the application of technologies, and work together to build a diversified market ecosystem. This initiative is rooted in the UN Global Compact Youth SDG Innovation Accelerator Project - the "Suzhou Carbon Neutrality Inclusiveness System." Co-built by the State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company, the Suzhou Industrial Park, China Consortium, Singapore's MVGX Group, and other parties, this system aims to establish a one-stop carbon inclusiveness service system covering "verification - emission reduction - trading - certification – finance," pooling the green strength of Chinese and foreign enterprises to jointly accelerate progress towards the goal of carbon neutrality. "This initiative aligns with our company's goal of becoming a leader in the field of sustainable development. We will work with other enterprises to jointly build a cleaner, healthier, and safer future world," said Xie Yu, Senior Manager of the Facilities Department at BorgWarner PowerDrive Systems (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.

 During the event, State Grid also highlighted two outstanding SDG innovation practices: "Power Big Data Serving Enterprise Carbon Footprint Intelligent Management" and "Building Green Partnerships to Promote Rural Sustainable Development." During the visit, participating guests explored the Power Grid Dispatching Center of Suzhou Power Supply Company, the "Dr. Electricity · Dynamic Lightning Protection" SDG Innovation Laboratory, and the Suzhou Industrial Park Active Distribution Network Demonstration Zone. They gained a close-up understanding of State Grid's green practice achievements in smart grid construction, green electricity and green certificate trading, carbon inclusiveness scenario application, and "all-electric sharing" convenient charging facilities.

Through in-depth discussions and vivid on-site visits, this event presented a comprehensive picture of the State Grid's innovative achievements in promoting energy green transition and sustainable development, winning unanimous recognition from participating guests. "Energy transition is not only related to the achievement of the ‘dual carbon' goals, but it also directly affects the future development of every country and every enterprise. Sustainable development is a long-term task. We will deepen international cooperation, promote more enterprises to integrate the concept of sustainable development into their strategies and operations, and contribute to building a more sustainable world," said Liu Meng, Representative of the UN Global Compact in China.