Dialog with Shi Bi, Chinese Academy of Engineering Academician: Build the 2022 Tianfu Carbon Neutrality Forum into a Forum Brand with International Influence

The 2022 Tianfu Carbon Neutrality Forum, held by Tianfu Yongxing Laboratory (hereinafter referred to as “the Laboratory”), will be held at the Tianfu International Convention Center in Chengdu on March 27. On the eve of the Forum, Chengdu Daily Jinguan News interviewed Shi Bi, Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) Academician and Deputy Director of the Academic Committee of Tianfu Yongxing Laboratory. Academician Shi Bi answered interviewers’ questions about the significance of holding the 2022 Tianfu Carbon Neutrality Forum by the Laboratory, how to benefit Chengdu’s development to be a technology innovation center, and how to help achieve the goal of carbon neutrality by contributing Chengdu strength. The full text of the interview is as follows:

Achieving the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” goals is a broad and profound economic and social systemic change.

On the way to realizing the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” goals, both the energy structure and industrial structure will be changed, people’s ways of production and lifestyles as well as economic and social development will also be unprecedentedly impacted, providing brand-new opportunities for future development at the same time. How to achieve the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” goals? How to seize the development opportunities of the times?

Situated by the Xinglong Lake in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Tianfu Yongxing Laboratory is one of the four key laboratories of the Tianfu Laboratory, focusing on the bottleneck problems in the field of carbon neutrality and exploring the specific paths to achieving the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” goals with scientific and technological innovation.

In order to steadily promote carbon peaking and carbon neutrality and to accelerate the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development, Tianfu Yongxing Laboratory makes its latest effort to hold the 2022 Tianfu Carbon Neutrality Forum in Chengdu on March 27. On this occasion, Chengdu Daily Jinguan News conducted an interview with Shi Bi, CAE Academician, Deputy Director of the Academic Committee of Tianfu Yongxing Laboratory, and a professor of Sichuan University in the run-up to the opening of the Forum, focusing on key issues in the field of carbon neutrality. Shi also shared how the Laboratory can empower high-quality development in the context of achieving the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” goals.

Chengdu Daily Jinguan News: The Report on the Work of the Government 2023 stated that in the past five years, steady efforts have been made to promote energy conservation, carbon reduction, and the realization of the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” goals in a scientific and orderly manner. The Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China also pointed out that achieving the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” goals is a broad and profound economic and social systemic change. How should we understand the “broad and profound economic and social systemic change”?

Academician Shi Bi: “Carbon peaking” and “carbon neutrality” have obtained global attention, since the realization of the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” goals not only has an impact on all humans’ ways of production and lifestyles, but also has far-reaching significance for improving the earth’s existing environment.

For instance, in terms of life, various more low-carbon lifestyles will be introduced in the whole society, including low-carbon transportation, resource and energy conservation, and protection of ecosystems; In terms of production, industrial transformation and upgrading will be vigorously promoted to improve resource utilization and reduce energy consumption in production; And in terms of energy, clean energy will be vigorously developed and utilized. Additionally, a comprehensive improvement in production levels and quality of life are necessary in the process of achieving the carbon neutrality goal. Consequently, achieving the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” goals is “a broad and profound economic and social systemic change”.

Chengdu Daily Jinguan News: What are the advantages and realistic conditions in Sichuan that can help achieve the goals better in the context of achieving the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” goals?

Academician Shi Bi: On one hand, with a huge clean energy possession, Sichuan Province has the unique advantage of abundant renewable energy resources. Hydropower, in particular, accounts for 80% of the total electricity generation in Sichuan Province. Moreover, solar energy resources, wind energy resources, and natural gas reserves and production also rank in the forefront in China, enabling Sichuan to have the congenital superiority of achieving the ‘carbon neutrality’ goal. On the other hand, the future industrial development will be constrained by carbon emissions out of the promotion of the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” goals. Sichuan Province, thanks to its resource advantage, may be relatively less restricted. Furthermore, Sichuan enjoys a good ecological environment and wide vegetation coverage, which will also promote the absorption and transformation of carbon dioxide.

Chengdu Daily Jinguan News: The Laboratory landed in Chengdu for construction and operation against the backdrop of vigorously promoting the implementation of the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” goals, what are the thoughts and implications at the beginning of the establishment? And what progress has been made so far?

Academician Shi Bi: The Laboratory initially aimed at building an influential regional innovation center at home and abroad, and entering the ranks officially recognized by the country in the field of carbon neutrality. According to the major national needs, especially for the industrial structure, energy structure characteristics, and research areas involved in Sichuan region, the Laboratory is committed to researching, developing, and promoting the application of core technologies in key fields that support the realization of carbon neutrality in China, especially in Sichuan.

Nevertheless, the Laboratory needs a longer construction process to accomplish such an aim. In the process of this practice, the Laboratory adheres to the combination of serving the national “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” strategies and the local economic development. Firstly, to establish a regional internationally influential innovation center, capable of exporting cutting-edge technological achievements for the national strategic needs; And secondly, to contribute to the regional economic development as well as realizing the goal of carbon neutrality.

Over the past year after its unveiling, the Laboratory is still in the early stage of start-up construction in general, though some progressions have been made. As for scientific and technological innovation, the construction of nine research centers has started, including new power systems, zero-carbon energy systems, and advanced technologies for carbon dioxide capture and utilization; and has set up an Academic Committee consisting of 15 academicians and 5 experts as well as an Expert Committee consisting of 24 academicians and 29 experts. Scientific research and technological breakthroughs have been making steady progress. The six research departments of the Laboratory are conducting relevant cutting-edge scientific research in their segmented fields; studies on advanced technological breakthroughs are published by top international journals; and pilot-scale experiments for some research results are being carried out by collaborating with multiple enterprises and platforms.

Chengdu Daily Jinguan News: The Laboratory is an upper-level innovation platform located in Western China (Chengdu) Science City. What do you think of the innovation atmosphere and milieu in Chengdu? How will the Laboratory help Chengdu build a science and technology innovation center with national influence?

Academician Shi Bi: Chengdu is originally a city with innovative genes. As more and more scientific research talents gathering here, the city’s innovative vitality is steadily on the increase. Chengdu perfectly combines urban recreation with innovative development. Sometimes, researchers are inspired to do better when they walk out of the lab with questions and savor the tea flavor in Chengdu. Actually, several hours of afternoon tea time may generate more inspiration than a few days in the lab.

As one of the four key laboratories of the Tianfu Laboratory, how will the Laboratory help Chengdu build a science and technology innovation center? Firstly, while producing research results, the Laboratory serves not only the national self-reliance and self-improvement in high-level science and technology, but also the local economic and social development. Secondly, as an upper-level innovation platform located in Western China (Chengdu) Science City, the Laboratory can help improve Chengdu’s innovation capacity, enhancing Chengdu with technological innovation attributes.

In the field of carbon neutrality technology, we not only focus on the basic research in the international frontier directions, but also expect to produce multiple technological achievements that can foster industries with an annual output value exceeding RMB 100 billion or even trillion. Once a breakthrough is achieved, it will effectively assist Chengdu in accelerating the construction of a national influential technology innovation center.

Chengdu Daily Jinguan News: The 2022 Tianfu Carbon Neutrality Forum, sponsored by Tianfu Yongxing Laboratory, will be held in Chengdu on March 27. In your opinion, what are the significance of this Forum held by the Laboratory?

Academician Shi Bi: In a sense, the 2022 Tianfu Carbon Neutrality Forum is an international forum. In addition to inviting domestic academicians and experts in the field of carbon neutrality, the forum will also invite renowned foreign experts to communicate and exchange online. Additionally, we plan to regularly hold Tianfu Carbon Neutrality Forum in Chengdu, building a forum brand with international influence in the field of carbon neutrality.

As for ourselves, whether laboratory builders and experts, or scholars and researchers all need a platform for academic exchange and interaction built in the form of such a forum. On one hand, we can learn the specific suggestions and opinions of all parties to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality, carry out a deep collision of ideas, gain more advanced concepts, and get some inspiration, so as to optimize the development strategies of the Laboratory and adjust the research directions of segmented fields.

On the other hand, the city’s vitality can be revitalized through conferences. Such an international forum can bring many innovative resources to Chengdu. With high-end scientific and technological talents, leading enterprises, and research institutes gathering in Chengdu, the forum provides a crucial opportunity for them to get to know this city and come here for further development.

Chengdu Daily Jinguan News: In the future, which aspects will the Laboratory focus on to promote the technical breakthrough and achievement transformation of the six major research fields, and contribute “Chengdu strength” to help achieve the goal of carbon neutrality?

Academician Shi Bi: The six research departments pay special attention to the combination of industry-university-research in terms of their compositions and structures. Besides, each research center is jointly built by universities, research institutes, and large-scale enterprises, and the achievements transfer and transformation are attached great importance to during the whole process of project research.

In the future, what each research department should focus on is to produce several research achievements that can be practically implemented. At the same time, the achievement should be ‘great’ enough that it can create new industries, or refresh or replace outdated industries through the research results. For instance, there are some materials in the existing wind power generating equipment that need to be imported. When alternative low-carbon recycling materials are produced through the research results of Tianfu Laboratory, an industrial chain is formed which affect the national and even the global wind power generating industry. It not only solves the situation of relying on imports, but also further improves the utilization rate of materials and upgrades the industrial chain. Such technical achievements that can change people’s ways of production and lifestyles and promote industrial upgrading and transformation will be the direction of our efforts.

Apart from that, talents are the first resource. The vitality source of scientific and technological innovation lies in scientific researchers. The Laboratory will continue to introduce high-level talents and build 10 to 15 matched research centers, so as to provide a strong guarantee for the result output, and contribute to the realization of the goal of “carbon neutrality”.

[By Huang Xuesong from Chengdu Daily Jinguan News]