On July 16, 2026, the inaugural Seminar on Renewable Energy and Sustainable Procurement for the United Nations and International Organizations was successfully held at the Global New Energy Empowerment Center in Shanghai. The event was jointly organized by the Global New Energy Empowerment Center (hereinafter referred to as GNEEC) and the Office for Knowledge Sharing, Capacity Building and Supporting Service Programme on Sustainable Procurement of UN/International Organisations (hereinafter referred to as UNPICBP Office). Bringing together representatives from governmental offices, international organizations, renewable energy industry associations, and member enterprises of GNEEC, the seminar focused on how renewable energy companies can better align with the sustainable procurement requirements of the United Nations and other international organizations, while exploring new opportunities in the global public procurement market.

The event opened with remarks by Mr. Xubo Yang, Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of the Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District; Mr. Xiqi Chen, Deputy District Mayor of Shanghai Qingpu District People's Government; Mr. Kai Zhu, Chairman of the Shanghai New Energy Industry Association (SNEIA); and Ms. Yue Mi, Chief Strategy Officer of the Global New Energy Empowerment Center (GNEEC).

I. Government, Industry, and Business Leaders Jointly Explore New Opportunities for Global Expansion

(Remarks by Mr. Xubo Yang, Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of the Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District)

Mr. Xubo Yang noted that the global energy landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, with green and low-carbon development becoming a shared priority across the international community. As a strategic gateway linking the Yangtze River Delta with global markets, the Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District (Hongqiao CBD) is actively fostering green and low-carbon industries while providing renewable energy enterprises with unparalleled geographical advantages and strong policy support for both attracting global resources and expanding overseas. Located at the heart of the Hongqiao International Opening-up Hub, the Hongqiao CBD serves not only as Shanghai's gateway to the Yangtze River Delta, the rest of China, and the Asia-Pacific region, but also as an important platform through which Chinese enterprises, technologies, products, and services can reach the global market.

He further emphasized that sustainable procurement has been attracting growing attention from governments and international organizations worldwide as an increasingly important catalyst for driving green transformation across global industrial and supply chains. The official signing of the strategic cooperation agreement between the Global New Energy Empowerment Center and the UNPICBP Office marks a new phase of collaboration between the two entities, which is expected to support the implementation of China's national development strategies within the Hongqiao CBD.

(Remarks by Mr. Xiqi Chen, Deputy District Mayor of Shanghai Qingpu District People's Government)

Mr. Xiqi Chen noted that green and low-carbon development has become a global consensus, making this an opportune moment for Chinese new energy products to enter the international public procurement market. Qingpu District plays a pivotal role in two major national strategies — the Yangtze River Delta Eco-Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone and the Hongqiao International Opening-up Hub. Home to more than 600 new energy enterprises with an industrial output approaching RMB 100 billion, Qingpu has taken the lead in piloting green electricity trading and carbon footprint labeling, providing a solid industrial foundation for local enterprises to compete on the global stage.

The United Nations system procures nearly US$30 billion worth of goods and services each year, with demand for low-carbon products continuing to grow rapidly. However, navigating complex international procurement rules and stringent ESG requirements often presents significant challenges for companies seeking to expand overseas. "This is precisely why the Joint Procurement Project was established," he said. "Our mission is to help enterprises not only manufacture world-class products, but also successfully bring them to international markets." As a national-level platform jointly established by UN agencies, China's Ministry of Commerce, and the Qingpu District Government, the Project Office supports enterprises through a dual-empowerment approach: business empowerment—including procurement guidance, compliance assessment, and targeted business matchmaking—and brand empowerment, featuring the 'Joint Procurement Preferred Supplier' recommendation program to help bridge the final gap between Chinese enterprises and the international public procurement market.

Today, the Global New Energy Empowerment Center and UNPICBP Office officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement, establishing an integrated service ecosystem that spans the entire value chain — from R&D and certification to bidding and project delivery. This innovative model, combining industry resources, platform support, and empowerment services, will provide a replicable "Qingpu Solution" for helping more Chinese green products reach global markets. He expressed his hope that enterprises will make full use of this platform to expand internationally and seize new opportunities in the global market.

(Remarks by Mr. Kai Zhu, Chairman of the Shanghai New Energy Industry Association)

In his remarks, Kai Zhu highlighted that, leveraging the global influence of the SNEC together with its extensive domestic and international industry networks, GNEEC has successfully organized a series of high-quality business matchmaking events. These initiatives have strengthened connections with partners across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and South America, facilitating cross-border collaboration and promoting the efficient flow of resources in international new energy markets. Looking ahead, he outlined three key priorities for GNEEC. Initially, GNEEC should further strengthen its role as a global collaboration platform by continuously connecting domestic and international supply and demand, enhancing the circulation of key resources for the global energy transition, and facilitating international industrial cooperation. Besides, GNEEC should expand support services for enterprises. Building on the extensive resources of the SNEC platform, it will continue to provide comprehensive services for new energy companies worldwide, including information dissemination, business registration guidance, and partnership matchmaking. Finally, GNEEC should promote greater collaboration across the industrial value chain by encouraging member enterprises to leverage the opportunities provided by UNPICBP and actively participate in the international public procurement system, achieving the transition from exporting products to delivering integrated solutions encompassing technologies, standards, and professional services.

II. Program Introduction: Helping Enterprises Include Their Products and Technologies in the UN Procurement List

(Remarks by Ms. Yue Mi, Chief Strategy Officer, GNEEC)

Ms. Yue Mi, Chief Strategy Officer of GNEEC, noted in her remarks that GNECC will help member companies precisely align with UN procurement needs through systematic information sharing, professional guidance, and resource integration. It will open up the entire channel from product certification to bid shortlisting, effectively reducing the barriers and costs for enterprises to participate in international public procurement.

To this end, GNECC has launched several initiatives: on the one hand, it is actively engaging with the UNPICBP Office to help member enterprises tap into this blue-ocean markets in a one-stop manner; on the other hand, it plans to conduct training on “ESG and Corporate Sustainable Development.” In late October this year, it will also organize a study tour to Germany for enterprise representatives to engage in ESG-related learning. Many enterprises have already responded positively, and GNECC is calling on more enterprises to join this initiative.

III. Signing the Agreement: Jointly Charting a Grand Vision for Strategic Cooperation

(Ms. Zhen Tong (left), signing representatives of GNEEC and Mr. Yuan Jiang (right), signing representatives of UNPICBP Office)

Witnessed by the attending guests, Ms. Zhen Tong, General Manager of Operations at GNEEC, and Mr. Yuan Jiang from UNPICBP Office held a grand signing ceremony. This signing marks a substantial step forward for both parties in promoting the deep integration of the new energy industry with international public procurement. Since its full launch on March 13 of this year, GNEEC — guided by the strategic vision of “Aggregating the Ecosystem, Powering the Future” — has grown its membership to over 300 organizations. Located at the heart of the Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District (No. 21, Lane 1588, Shenchang Road, Minhang District), GNEEC is dedicated to becoming a dual gateway for Chinese new energy enterprises to “bring in” global partners and “go global,” while also serving as a headquarters hub for leading new energy companies both at home and abroad. This powerful partnership with UNPICBP Office will deeply integrates the GNEEC’s industrial resources with the international procurement channels of the UN procurement project, paving key pathways for new energy enterprises to transition from “exporting products” to “exporting standards”, and from “going it alone” to “advancing as a united front.”

IV. Systematic Introduction of the UN Procurement Project, Empowering Enterprises with Precise Matchmaking

(Remarks by Ms. Yingying Pan, International Public Procurement Specialist at UNPICBP Office)

Ms. Yingying Pan, International Public Procurement Specialist at UNPICBP Office, provided a comprehensive overview of the project’s background, services, and phased achievements. According to her presentation, UNPICBP was jointly launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchange (CICETE), the Shanghai Qingpu District People’s Government, and Shanghai Glorious Investment Development Co., Ltd.. The Programme aims to help a wide range of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as women-owned enterprises participate in the UN procurement market. Since its launch, the project has provided training to more than 1,000 enterprises, published over 135,000 procurement notices, and helped more than 1,400 enterprises successfully register as suppliers on the United Nations global marketplace. Of these, approximately 750 enterprises have participated in United Nations procurement bids, winning 66 contracts, including 8 long-term agreements.

V. Enterprise Practical Experience Sharing: The UNICEF Child-Friendly Solar PV Project Case

(Remarks by Dr. Kenan Zhang, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development, GoodWe)

During the experience-sharing session, Dr. Kenan Zhang, Director of Sustainable Development Research Institute of GoodWe, shared practical insights on participating in international public procurement, drawing on the case study of UNICEF’s child-friendly solar power project. Dr. Zhang provided an in-depth analysis of the entire process — from project needs alignment and solution design, to bid preparation and contract performance — offering valuable reference for the enterprises present on how to transition from product delivery to standard alignment.

VI. On-Site Q&A with Experts: Exploring New Pathways for Sustainable Procurement
The subsequent Q&A session brought the seminar to a climax, with corporate representatives actively asking questions on topics such as the United Nations’ sustainable procurement rules, ESG capacity building, green supply chain management, how new energy companies can align with the procurement rules of the United Nations and international organizations, and pathways to achieving green and sustainable development. Experts from UNPICBP addressed each question in turn, and the on-site interaction was lively; Enterprise representatives expressed that they had gained substantial and valuable insights from the session.

VI. New Energy + Sustainable Procurement: “Twin-Wheel” Drive for High-Quality Development
Currently, the global energy structure is undergoing profound transformation, with the three major industries—solar photovoltaics, energy storage, and hydrogen energy—accelerating toward deep integration. At the same time, the United Nations and international organizations are vigorously promoting sustainable procurement, making green, low-carbon, and sustainable the core keywords in international public procurement. The successful hosting of this seminar not only established an efficient platform for new energy enterprises to systematically understand UN procurement rules but also injected new momentum into China’s new energy industry to integrate into the global green supply chain with higher standards and superior quality.

This seminar marked the first event hosted by GNEEC on UNPICBP. Looking ahead, GNEEC will continue to provide member companies with capacity-building training, information sharing, and resource matching services. It also aims to help more Chinese new energy companies explore the blue ocean of international public procurement, contributing China’s strength to the global green energy transition.