The 2026 International Forum on Carbon Neutrality and Energy System Transformation (CNEST) was held in Beijing from May 20 to 22. The forum was hosted by Tsinghua University and organized by the Tsinghua Institute for Carbon Neutrality.
Yu Yingjie, member of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee and secretary of the Education Working Committee of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee; Li Luming, president of Tsinghua University; Gan Jingzhong, party secretary of CPC Changping District Committee; Shu Hua, deputy director of the Department of Science, Technology and Informatization at the Ministry of Education; Hodan Osman Abdi, ambassador of the Federal Republic of Somalia to China; and Jakob Lundberg, deputy director of Future Earth attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.
Konstantin Novoselov, Nobel laureate and professor of the National University of Singapore; Chen Deliang, dean and professor of the Department of Earth System Science at Tsinghua and co-chair of Future Earth, attended the forum, together with domestic and international experts and representatives from government, industry, and academia. Jiang Peixue, vice chancellor of Tsinghua University Council and the project leader of CNEST Multilateral Collaboration Program, and He Kebin, dean of the Institute for Carbon Neutrality at Tsinghua, Chair of the Science Committee of the CNEST program hosted the opening and closing ceremony respectively.
The venue of the 2026 International Forum on Carbon Neutrality and Energy System Transformation
Yu Yingjie stated that Beijing's education system has proactively served the "dual carbon" goals and achieved remarkable results. Looking ahead, Beijing will remain firmly committed to a path of ecological priority, green and low-carbon development, and high-quality growth, striving to provide Beijing's experience for the green transformation of cities across China and around the world.
Li Luming welcomed the guests on behalf of Tsinghua University. He stated that Tsinghua remains committed to taking concrete actions to address climate change and advance China’s “dual carbon” goals. Leveraging its multidisciplinary strengths, the University provides strong technological support and cultivates talent to help tackle shared global challenges and foster an open and inclusive ecosystem for international cooperation. Looking ahead, Tsinghua will continue to deepen multilateral cooperation through CNEST, promote the transformation of global energy systems steadily, and work with partners worldwide to safeguard our shared planet.
Gan Jingzhong noted that Changping District has consistently supported the forum and related cooperation efforts and will work together to write a new chapter in "dual carbon" transformation and the high-quality development of the energy industry.
Shu Hua expressed hope that the CNEST program will further integrate leading research strengths from both China and abroad to provide leadership and serve as an example in the global response to climate change.
Hodan Osman Abdi emphasized the hope that CNEST platform will help China and Africa shift from project-specific cooperation to systemic collaboration, jointly promoting the transformation of global energy systems and advancing equitable development.
Jakob Lundberg stated that Future Earth will work closely with the CNEST to jointly address climate challenges and build a better future.
Other speakers, including Vivek Tulpule, chief economist of Rio Tinto; and Declan Zeng, director of strategic innovation at Envision Group, shared insights on the transformation process of energy systems and the cooperative vision under the CNEST platform.
Following the opening ceremony, a number of renowned experts and scholars delivered keynote presentations and participated in leaders’ roundtable discussions on topics related to carbon neutrality and energy system transformation. Three parallel forums were also held.
Jiang Peixue delivered a forum summary, providing an overview of the latest progress of the CNEST program and the forum.
The event attracted more than 480 participants from 21 countries, including representatives from universities, research institutions, enterprises, and international organizations. Building on the Beijing Initiative on Carbon Neutrality and Energy System Transformation (CNEST) released last year, it has progressively taken shape as the “Beijing Consensus”. This framework further refines CNEST's scientific objectives and key research questions, promotes international cooperation and knowledge sharing, and contributes to the achievement of global carbon neutrality goals.
Editors: Li Han, John Paul Grima
