Innovation Week sparks sustainability strategies with thoughts and actions

The opening ceremony of Re: Think 2023 SDG Innovation Week, aka SDG InnoWeek, was held in Chengdu on Sept 15. Marking the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the event brought together government officials, academics, private sector leaders and development practitioners to spark discussions about implementing critical actions aimed at pursuing a sustainable future for humanity and the planet.

Re: Think is a flagship innovation event co-hosted by the United Nations Development Program and the Chengdu High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, with joint participation from the China International Center for Economic and Technological Exchanges as a supporting partner. In advance of SDG InnoWeek, the online #ActNow campaign was posted in July and August, featuring a video collection and activities to popularize 17 sustainable development goals and share understanding of sustainable living. Concurrently, a co-creation plan for promoting sustainable lifestyles was launched in the city.

The offline activities of SDG InnoWeek lasted eight days. Subsequently, there will be interactive initiatives such as the INSPIRO Sustainable Consumption Fashion Show, the SPARK Sustainability Lifestyle Festival, film previews and the closing ceremony.

SDG promotion

At the opening ceremony, James George, the UNDP's deputy resident representative in China, said: "This year is the midpoint of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, but the world is facing multiple crises. Only 12 percent of the sustainable development goals are making progress. We must take urgent action immediately, which is also the significance of this SDG InnoWeek."

Zhang Yi, deputy director of the China International Center for Economic and Technological Exchanges, echoed that sentiment, adding: "We hope the SDG InnoWeek will be an open platform with international perspective, pooling together all sectors of society to explore innovative solutions and achievements through a consultative process and joint efforts, with the goal of bringing benefits to all in the field of sustainable development."

The Chengdu High-Tech Industrial Development Zone interpreted research ideas, methods and goals of its internationalization index at the event. The zone released its latest internationalization index in December 2022, which showed a 49 percent increase from 2018 to 2021.According to statistics, total foreign trade volume of the Chengdu Hightech Comprehensive Bonded Zone reached 466 billion yuan ($64 billion) in 2022, maintaining first place in the country for the fifth consecutive year. A total of 28,102 new enterprises were newly registered in the zone, with a registered capital of 270.8 billion yuan.

Officials of the zone said statistics show it has achieved a high level of opening-up, strengthened its foreign trade and deepened exchanges and cooperation, reflecting the continuous reform achievements and optimized business environment. They added the theme of this year's SDG InnoWeek — Act Now — highlights the achievements and experience of the Chengdu High-Tech Industrial Development Zone in sustainable development and dual-carbon action and will inspire more enterprises, communities, schools and the public to participate in achieving sustainable development.

The Chengdu Sustainable Lifestyles Map (2023) was released at the same time. It covers all districts and counties of Chengdu with the perspectives of recycling, cultural heritage, ecological protection and care for special groups and residential communities. It also includes representative places such as secondhand stores, farmers' markets and family farms, providing the public a guide to sustainable lifestyles with Chengdu style.

A panel discussion titled ReThink& ReShape: Shaping a Sustainable Future Through Circular Economy, was also held, during which representatives from the Allen MacArthur Foundation, experts from China Agricultural University, and heads of sustainable departments from INDEED Innovation, Decathlon, Danone, COFCO Coca-Cola and other enterprises were invited to exchange insights on how sustainable consumption can shape a sustainable future.

New paths

During SDG InnoWeek, the INSPIRO Sustainable Consumption Fashion Show was staged in the zone, featuring a fashion show, product roadshows and the SPARKling Night activity to create a platform for sustainable design and for consumers to transform sustainable concepts into practice in a bid to explore new paths for economic circular transformation and promote positive changes in lifestyle choices.

In addition, as one of the largest sub-activities of InnoWeek, the SPARK Sustainability Lifestyle Festival was showcased in the zone's Jiaozi Avenue, with urban living, utilization of resources and value-based sustainability as its themes. For attendees interested in sustainable development, a series of expert speeches, sustainable markets, flash exhibitions and light shows were organized. The Jiaozi Business District City Walk route was also launched. Led by architectural experts, it offered the public an in-depth glimpse into the city's history, culture and landscapes.

As one of 12 high-tech zones that joined in the peak carbon and neutrality action declaration, the Chengdu High-Tech Industrial Development Zone is driven by technological innovation that focuses on low-carbon industry and nurtures a technology-based industrial ecosystem. By vigorously developing low-carbon business forms, it explores green development and has made progress in the application of energy-saving technologies and the ecological development of industrial parks, officials said.

The UNDP, along with the China International Center for Economic and Technological Exchanges and the zone's committee, jointly created the UNDP SDG Innovation Pilot Project in Chengdu in 2019, which includes the SPARK Lab (Chengdu), China's first UNDP-led sustainable development innovation laboratory. Located at the zone's China-Europe Cooperation Center, it aims to provide efficient communication and cooperation channels for governments, universities, enterprises and think tanks to promote Chengdu's green, low-carbon, and high-quality development, officials said.

In recent years, the SPARK Lab has achieved many sustainable development innovation outcomes, including establishing an advisory committee and publishing reports on carbon neutrality strategy research for the services industry of the zone. It has also provided more than 40 training sessions for government officials and corporate executives. The lab has built the INSPIRO Young Entrepreneurs Network for Sustainable Development (INSPIRO Network), held multiple Re: Think conferences and created a 2,000-square-meter innovation space to introduce the UNDP global climate action and dual-carbon policies of the zone and the country.

An official said additional positive outcomes will be realized by relying on the global network and resources of the UNDP SDG Innovation Pilot Project in Chengdu, and through joint efforts with key industries in the zone, more innovative paths for green, low-carbon and sustainable development will be discovered.