International seminar fosters dialogues on low-carbon rural village development strategies

In a significant move towards sustainable rural village development, the International Seminar on Low-carbon Empowering Future Village Development convened on October 31st in Qingshan village, an hour's ride from Hangzhou. Qingshan village has pioneered a number of sustainable practices in recent years. This event marked a collaborative effort by China Academy for Rural Development of Zhejiang University, and the People's Government of Yuhang District, spotlighting the urgency of addressing climate change and sustainability challenges facing by rural villagers. The event is held in a renovated old auditorium that now is a library for a collection of traditional crafts and features a traditional timber building structure.

The seminar gathered more than fifty experts from prestigious institutions, including China Academy for Rural Development of Zhejiang University, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, and Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Together, they discussed the key issues of advancing agricultural and rural village development in alignment with China's dual carbon goal—peaking carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060. 

Prof. LI Min, director of the Office of Global Engagement at Zhejiang University, underscored the University's commitment to sustainable practices in her welcoming address. She recounted ZJU's strategic initiatives, including the Sustainability Action Plan—A Global ZJU for Social Good (Z4G), which champions sustainability in education, research, and practices within the ZJU community and among other stakeholders in China and beyond.  

Adding a global perspective, Prof. Louis Verchot, Director of CGIAR Global Key Science Initiative on Low Carbon Food System Research (Mitigate+) , commended Zhejiang province's green development achievements in rural areas. We aim to assimilate Zhejiang's experiences in green and low-carbon development and extend this model to more nations worldwide, he remarked.

At the roundtables, experts offered their insights on how to construct a low-carbon future for rural areas. Some highlighted the necessity for government-led green policies and financial backing for green agriculture and renewable energy to empower rural advancement. Experts also emphasized the importance of bottom up approaches on advancing low-carbon agricultural practices and the reduction of carbon emissions in farming.

The selection of Qingshan village as the seminar venue was strategic, explained Prof. Kevin Chen, the master organizer of the seminar and international dean of China Academy for Rural Development of Zhejiang University. The village exemplifies a successful rural development model with a sustainable ecological protection mechanism involving diverse community participants. It's a model for not only local but also global rural development. The conference further acknowledged Qingshan village as a fixed observation point for the New Rural Economy and Sustainable Development by ZJU’s China Academy of Rural Development—a testament to its ecologically conscious approach to development.