Digitalization and green development are must-go paths for Chinese, foreign entrepreneurs

Digitalization and green development were matters of concern for Chinese and foreign entrepreneurs and scholars at the 4th China Enterprise Forum (CEF) held from Sept 23 to 24 in Jinan, Shandong province.

At the CEF Dialogue session, Chinese and foreign attendees shared their experience and views on enterprises' role in promoting sustainable development by digitalization and transformation and pushing forward low-carbon operations and production.

Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, said that enterprises are not only economical units for production and service, but also owe responsibilities to the public and society. Only by working together can they sufficiently protect the world. He stressed the crucial and leading role that enterprises should play in environmental protection and commented that the CEF is a valuable opportunity to call for all people in various sectors to contribute to building a better world.

Liu Guoyue, general-manager of China Energy Investment Corporation (China Energy)，said that China Energy is a backbone energy central SOE and shoulders major responsibility for guaranteeing safe energy supply.

Having full industrial chain businesses including coal, power, transportation and the chemical industry, the company highly values digital transformation to develop smart production and operational and management systems to improve efficiency and efficacy.

Zhang Wenzhong, founder of Wumart Group, a leading retailer in China, said that based on digital technologies, Wumart Group contributed to the mix-ownership reform of SOEs. He stressed that digitalization and intelligentization is a must-go path for the traditional circulation industry and expressed his confidence that entrepreneurship will be simple and easy in the field with the support of digitalization in the future.

In terms of green development, Zhou Yuxian, chairman of China National Building Material Group Co., Ltd., said the company highly values environmental protection and has made green and low-carbon a goal in its planning for the next five years. By promoting green production and developing green and low-carbon products like carbon fiber and glass materials, the company aims to take the lead in supporting China's goal of reaching carbon emission peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

Schneider Electric Chairman and CEO Jean-Pascal Tricoire spoke at the dialogue via video link, saying that sustainability and digital development are inextricably intertwined.

He said that Schneider Electric will increase investment in highly-efficient sustainable development and expressed his willingness to support Chinese enterprises' participation in the field relying on their own technologies.

Liu Qiao, dean of the Guanghua School of Management of Peking University, is optimistic about digital development in China. He said that the country has accumulated a large amount of data and algorithms in the consumer-oriented internet market, which could bring the market great changes.

Ling Wen, vice governor of Shandong, pointed out that cooperation is the best way to realize China’s carbon emission peak and neutrality goals and to promote recovery of the global economy. He also urged promotion of the entrepreneurial spirit and encouraged entrepreneurs to take the lead in industrial development trend-making in response to the complicated situation.