Yang Bin | The “dual carbon” goal is not only a responsibility but also an opportunity for Tsinghua

Yang Bin

The following is a transcript of Yang Bin's speech:

Respected Director Li Yizhong, Chairman Xiao Gang, General Manager Ma Yongsheng, Academician Jin Yong, Dean Xiao Hui, distinguished leaders, guests, teachers, and students:

Good morning, everyone!

First of all, on behalf of Tsinghua University, I welcome everyone to the beautiful Tsinghua campus in this golden autumn season to attend the "Carbon Neutral Economy" Forum, jointly hosted by Tsinghua University's PBC School of Finance, Schwarzman College, and China Economic Publishing House. This forum aims to bring together leading forces in global sustainable development to jointly explore long-term strategies for carbon neutral economic development. This theme is very meaningful and is also a strategic priority for Tsinghua University.

In her speech, Dean Xiaohui described carbon neutrality as a major strategic decision made by the Party Central Committee after careful consideration, as well as China's important proposition of taking active action to address climate change at the global governance level, and how addressing climate change has become a rare breakthrough for China in its diplomatic relations amidst the major changes in the world order. I fully agree with all of these.

For a multidisciplinary comprehensive university like Tsinghua University, how to seize the important transformation of carbon neutrality, promote the transformation of key industries, and also promote and facilitate technological progress is an area that many disciplines, professors, and scholars at Tsinghua University are very concerned about and are willing to work hard on.

As Dean Xiaohui just mentioned, Tsinghua University's PBC School of Finance is also taking advantage of this opportunity to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration with other disciplines at Tsinghua University. Furthermore, particularly in green finance, as a crucial aspect and measure for achieving carbon neutrality, Tsinghua PBC School of Finance is making significant contributions.

Tsinghua University has always valued its important role and contributions in major national strategic deployments. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 110th anniversary of Tsinghua University. Tsinghua has entered a new stage of development and embarked on a new journey towards becoming a world-class university. On April 19, on the eve of Tsinghua University's anniversary, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Tsinghua University and highly affirmed the university's achievements. He particularly emphasized that Tsinghua University, adhering to its motto of "Self-reliance and Perseverance, Virtue and Responsibility," has deepened reforms, accelerated innovation, and achieved flourishing success in all its undertakings. Its scientific research and innovation achievements are closely aligned with the needs of national development. The "closely aligned" aspect mentioned by the General Secretary refers to Tsinghua people's ability to "think what the country thinks, be anxious about what the country is anxious about, and respond to what the country needs" at different stages of national development, keeping pace with and contributing to major national plans and initiatives, and closely serving national strategies.

"Dual carbon" has become a major national strategic deployment, which means that the entire socio-economic system is shifting towards sustainable development. Of course, as educators and as universities, we should make our contributions in this regard. Tsinghua University, in particular, with its strong scientific research capabilities, social influence, and talent cultivation, should shoulder the important responsibility of promoting the entire society toward carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

Here I would like to give a few specific examples. One is that in October 2018, Xie Zhenhua donated HK$20 million of the World Civilisation Award he received back to his alma mater to establish the "Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development" to promote the development of relevant disciplines and scientific research.

In January 2019, in Davos, Tsinghua University, together with other important universities from the five continents, launched the World University Climate Change Alliance, which has now expanded to 14 universities. The alliance promotes in-depth research on climate change and sustainable development among scholars from these universities, and also encourages young students to have full exchanges on related issues.

In January 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping replied to a letter from students attending a graduate forum of the World University Climate Change Alliance. They had written to President Xi expressing their support for China's strategies related to sustainable development and climate change, and President Xi specifically responded to their letter. This was not only a huge encouragement to the World University Climate Change Alliance, but also a very important guide for Tsinghua University.

In December 2019, during the 25th United Nations Climate Change Conference, the World University Climate Change Alliance, with Tsinghua University as its chair unit, held a special academic conference on "Multilateral Research Projects on Carbon Neutrality and Technologies." This further promoted the leveraging of research strengths by various universities in related disciplines. Through the World University Climate Change Alliance, Tsinghua University expanded its international academic influence and leadership in key scientific research, promoted the transformation of low-carbon technological achievements, and made its contribution to the carbon neutrality transition.

I would also like to specifically mention that in April 2021, during Tsinghua University's 110th anniversary celebration, one of our forum speakers today, alumnus Dang Yanbao, generously donated six carbon neutrality chair professorships to Tsinghua University's energy-related departments. We understand that this is the first donation of chair professorships named after carbon neutrality in the world, which provides very important support for our talent recruitment efforts, and we are especially grateful to him.

For Tsinghua University, entering a new phase, the "dual carbon" goal is both a responsibility and a significant opportunity. We hope that implementing a carbon neutrality strategy will allow Tsinghua to maintain and strengthen its engineering strengths and promote the strategic transformation of related engineering disciplines. Simultaneously, it will foster the integration of engineering and economics disciplines, including finance, effectively leveraging the university's interdisciplinary advantages to achieve international leadership, fulfill Tsinghua's mission and responsibility, serve national strategies, and enhance human well-being.

Where there is collective strength, nothing is insurmountable; where there is collective wisdom, nothing is impossible. Achieving the "dual carbon" target as soon as possible requires the joint efforts of the entire society, and the collaborative innovation and cooperation of the entire industrial chain to achieve the broadest possible win-win situation. Tsinghua University will also shoulder this important responsibility, seize opportunities, and make new contributions to the nation's zero-carbon future.I wish this conference a complete success. Thank you all.