From October 22 to 24, the 35th China Chefs Festival was held at the Suzhou International Expo Center, alongside the 2026 China Chefs and Catering Expo. By leveraging Suzhou's "Carbon Inclusive" (Tan Puhui) service, the event achieved carbon neutrality — a first for any large-scale culinary and catering exhibition in China — providing a practical model for hosting green events in the catering industry.

Often referred to as the "Olympics for Chinese Chefs," this year's festival was included in the Ministry of Commerce's 2026 "Chinese Cuisine Extravaganza" (Zhonghua Meishi Hui) series — an initiative designed to boost catering consumption. Centered on the theme "Inheriting Craftsmanship, Guiding the Future of Flavor through Innovation, Leading Together, and Showcasing the Charm of Suzhou," the festival — combined with the concurrent expo — integrated professional forums, competitions, and culinary showcases. The event featured a comprehensive program comprising 10 forums, 10 competitions, and one major exhibition.

Adhering to a green, low-carbon philosophy, the organizers implemented a multi-dimensional, targeted carbon-reduction strategy tailored to the specific needs of the catering industry. All competition kitchens and brand exhibition kitchens utilized exclusively electric cooking equipment, ensuring a flame-free and exhaust-free environment. According to power utility estimates, switching entirely to electric cooking equipment can reduce energy consumption by 20%-45% and carbon emissions by approximately 30% compared to traditional gas-powered stoves.

Regarding energy supply, a new 2,774-kilowatt distributed photovoltaic (PV) system on the venue's rooftop was connected to the grid, bringing the total grid-connected solar capacity to 3,520 kilowatts. The green electricity generated during the event was fed directly into the venue's power grid, increasing the share of clean energy from the source. 

Furthermore, the organizers encouraged exhibitors and contestants to prepare ingredients based on actual demand to minimize food waste. They also issued a "Green Travel Guide" in advance, urging attendees and visitors to opt for low-carbon transportation, such as public transit, when traveling to and from the venue. 

To address unavoidable carbon emissions, the event organizers used verified emission reductions (VERs) from the Suzhou "Carbon Inclusive" (Tan Puhui) system to offset these emissions. As the first regional, market-oriented "carbon inclusive" service system in China, it was launched in 2022 through a collaborative effort involving the State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company, the Suzhou Industrial Park, and the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Development Group (CSSD). 

The system provides a comprehensive, end-to-end service chain — covering verification, emission reduction, trading, certification, and finance — that quantifies the low-carbon actions of individuals and enterprises, transforming them into tradable carbon assets and unlocking the value of otherwise fragmented carbon-reduction efforts.

Calculations indicate that the event generated 6,428.04 tons of carbon emissions, which were fully offset through a donation of carbon-reduction credits by the State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company. 

"These credits stem from the carbon-reduction achievements of Suzhou residents who participated in the 'e-Save Electricity' (e Qi Jie Dian) initiative this year," explained Zhang Wentao, a specialist in the Marketing Department of the State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company. "By taking small, everyday actions — such as raising air-conditioning temperatures, turning off unused appliances, and switching off lights — residents saved electricity. Once verified by the Carbon Inclusive Center, these energy savings were converted into tradable carbon-reduction credits using a 'residential electricity-saving methodology.' The credits were then used to offset a portion of the emissions from this forum."

The Suzhou "Carbon Inclusive" service system currently covers 11 emission-reduction scenarios, including residential energy conservation and wetland carbon sinks. It has registered over 600 market entities and issued more than 500,000 tons of carbon-reduction credits. Its trading volume ranks first in the Yangtze River Delta region, and the model has attracted interest from ten locations across five provinces, leading to cross-regional collaborative development.

"Moving forward, we will continue to deepen our focus on low-carbon scenarios within the service sector — such as the catering industry — by promoting initiatives like carbon footprint accounting for food ingredients, the full electrification of dining establishments, and low-carbon supply chain management. We aim to extend the experience gained from achieving carbon neutrality in large-scale events to the entire industrial operational chain, thereby supporting society's transition toward a low-carbon future," said Zhao Xiaojin, a client manager at the Suzhou One-Stop Carbon Neutrality Inclusive Service Center.