Taicang, a county-level city in East China's Jiangsu province hosts the 2022 Green Development Conference on Dec 10. [Photo/WeChat account: tcfbgw]

The 2022 Green Development Conference, also named China-EU High-level Forum on Sustainable Development, was held in Taicang, a county-level city in East China's Jiangsu province on Dec 10. 

The conference was aimed at promoting China-EU cooperation in terms of green development and digital economy. 

Leung Chun-ying, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), delivered a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony. 

He proposed that nations across the world should make concerted efforts to promote sustainable development and China's drive for the integrated development of green and digital economy will play a significant role in global sustainability efforts. 

Laurent Fabius, former prime minister of France and chairman of the Paris Climate Change Conference, said via video that cooperation between the United States, the European Union and China is key to implementing the Paris Agreement. 

At the conference, a series of agreements regarding the exploration of new sustainable development paths, establishment of a China-EU green and digital economy pilot zone and carbon neutrality projects were signed. 

More than 40 agencies launched the "Earth Aspiration Action Initiative" during the event. 

Taicang was chosen as the host venue because it has over the past few years made great progress in promoting sustainable development. 

For instance, Taicang has set up a Sino-German green development industrial park and a number of green factories. The energy consumption of enterprises above designated size in the city was 0.22 metric tons of standard coal last year, down 6.8 percent year-on-year.

Leung Chun-ying, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), delivers a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony. [Photo/WeChat account: tcfbgw]

Laurent Fabius, former Prime Minister of France makes a keynote speech via video at the 2022 Green Development Conference on Dec 10. [Photo/WeChat account: tcfbgw]