On July 16, the first United Nations/International Organizations New Energy and Sustainable Procurement Work Seminar and Special Promotion Conference was successfully held at the Global New Energy Empowerment Center (Shanghai). Co-hosted by the Global New Energy Empowerment Center and the United Nations/International Organizations Sustainable Procurement Service, Information Sharing and Capacity Building Project Office (referred to as the "UN Procurement Project Office"), the seminar brought together representatives from relevant government agencies, international organizations, new energy industry associations, and member companies of the Global New Energy Empowerment Center to discuss how new energy enterprises can precisely align with UN and international organizations' sustainable procurement rules and explore new horizons in the international public procurement market.

 Yang Xubo, Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District, Chen Xiqi, Deputy District Mayor of Qingpu District, Shanghai, Zhu Kai, President of Shanghai New Energy Industry Association, and Mi Yue, Chief Strategy Officer of the Global New Energy Empowerment Center, delivered speeches successively.

I. Government, Industry, Academia and Research Gather to Explore New Opportunities for Going Global

(Yang Xubo, Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District, delivering a speech)

Yang Xubo pointed out in his speech that the current global energy structure is undergoing a deep transformation, and green and low‑carbon development has become a broad international consensus.As a key hub connecting the Yangtze River Delta with the world, the Hongqiao International Central Business District is vigorously developing green and low‑carbon industries, providing new energy enterprises with unique geographical advantages and policy support for "going global" and "bringing in".Located at the core of the Hongqiao International Open Hub, the CBD is not only an important gateway for Shanghai to connect with the Yangtze River Delta, serve the whole country, and radiate to the Asia‑Pacific, but also a bridgehead for Chinese enterprises, products, technologies, and services to reach global markets.

He stated that sustainable procurement, as an important lever to promote green transformation of industrial chains, is receiving increasing attention from governments and international organizations. The Global New Energy Empowerment Center, as an international platform, together with the UN Procurement Project Office, signing a cooperation agreement and joining forces, will play a positive role in advancing the implementation of national strategic deployments in the Hongqiao CBD.

(Chen Xiqi, Deputy District Mayor of Qingpu District, Shanghai, delivering a speech)

Chen Xiqi noted that green and low‑carbon development has become a global consensus, and it is the right time for Chinese new energy products to enter the international public procurement market. Qingpu District shoulders two national strategies: the Yangtze River Delta Ecological Green Integrated Development and the Hongqiao International Open Hub. The new energy industry in Qingpu has grown strong, with over 600 enterprises and an output value approaching 100 billion yuan. It has also taken the lead in exploring green power trading and carbon footprint labeling, providing a solid industrial foundation for going global.

The UN system procures nearly USD 30 billion in goods and services annually, with surging demand for low‑carbon products. However, complex international rules and stringent ESG standards often make it difficult for enterprises to navigate overseas markets. This is precisely the core mission of the UN Procurement Project – to help enterprises "produce well" and "sell far". As a national‑level platform jointly established by UN agencies, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Qingpu District Government, we drive progress through business empowerment (rule guidance, compliance diagnosis, precise matchmaking) and brand empowerment (the "UN Procurement Preferred" recommendation list), bridging the "last mile" to international public procurement.

Today, the Global New Energy Empowerment Center officially signed an agreement with the UN Procurement Project Office, forming a closed‑loop chain from R&D and certification to bidding and contract performance. This "industry + platform + empowerment" model will surely provide a replicable Qingpu solution for more Chinese green products to cross mountains and seas. We look forward to enterprises leveraging the platform to set sail and navigate the vast blue ocean.

(Zhu Kai, President of Shanghai New Energy Industry Association, delivering a speech)

Zhu Kai emphasized that the Global New Energy Empowerment Center, leveraging the SNEC brand and its domestic and international resources, has held multiple high‑quality supply‑demand matchmaking events, linking East Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and South America to facilitate the integration of international market resources. He highlighted three future priorities: First, strengthen platform connectivity – the Center will continue to open up internal and external supply‑demand channels and reinforce its function of facilitating global energy transition resource flows and industrial resource alignment. Second, expand enterprise services – building on SNEC resources, continue to provide information release, registration guidance, and matchmaking support for global new energy enterprises. Third, promote industrial chain collaboration – encourage member companies to use the UN Procurement Project as a window to actively integrate into the international public procurement system, upgrading from product exports to exports of technology, standards, and services.

II. Program Introduction: Helping Enterprises’ Products and Technologies Enter the UN Project Procurement Catalog

(Mi Yue, Chief Strategy Officer of the Global New Energy Empowerment Center, speaking)

Mi Yue, Chief Strategy Officer of the Global New Energy Empowerment Center, stated that the Center will help member companies precisely match UN procurement needs through systematic information matching, professional guidance, and resource integration, opening up the full chain from product certification to bidding qualification, effectively reducing the barriers and costs for enterprises to participate in international public procurement.

To this end, the Global New Energy Empowerment Center has launched multiple actions: actively liaising with the UN Procurement Project Office to help member companies explore the blue‑ocean market in a "one‑stop" manner; and planning to carry out "ESG and Corporate Sustainable Development" training, as well as organizing a delegation of enterprise representatives to visit Germany for exchange and ESG‑related study in late October this year. Many companies have already responded positively, and the Center calls on more enterprises to participate in this event.

• Joint Signing, Charting a Strategic Cooperation Blueprint

(Tong Zhen, signing representative of the Global New Energy Empowerment Center (left), and Jiang Yuan, signing representative of the UN Procurement Project Office (right))

Witnessed by all attendees, Tong Zhen, Operating General Manager of the Global New Energy Empowerment Center, and Jiang Yuan from the UN Procurement Project Office held a formal signing ceremony. This signing marks a substantial step forward in deeply aligning the new energy industry with international public procurement. Since its full launch on March 13 this year, the Global New Energy Empowerment Center, with the strategic vision of "Aggregating Ecosystem · Energizing the Future", has attracted over 300 member companies. Located in the core of Shanghai Hongqiao International Central Business District (No. 21, Shenchang Road 1588, Minhang District), the Center is committed to building a dual bridgehead for Chinese new energy enterprises to "bring in" and "go global", and a headquarters cluster for leading domestic and international new energy companies. This strong alliance with the UN Procurement Project Office deeply integrates the Center's industrial resources with the Project Office's international procurement channels, paving the key path for new energy enterprises from "product going global" to "standards going global", and from "going it alone" to "joint operations".

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

(Pan Yingying, International Public Procurement Specialist of the UN Procurement Project Office, presenting)

Pan Yingying, International Public Procurement Specialist of the UN Procurement Project Office, gave a systematic introduction to the project background, service contents, and phased achievements. The UN Procurement Project was jointly initiated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges, the Qingpu District Government of Shanghai, and Shanghai Canhui Investment Development Co., Ltd., aiming to help small and medium‑sized enterprises and women‑led enterprises participate in the UN procurement market. Since its launch, the project has provided training to over a thousand enterprises, published more than 135,000 procurement notices, and helped over 1,400 enterprises successfully register as UN Global Market suppliers. Among them, about 750 enterprises have bid for UN procurement, achieving 66 successful bids, including 8 long‑term agreements.

V. Enterprise Practical Sharing: UNICEF Child‑Friendly Photovoltaic Project Case

(Dr. Zhang Kenan, Dean of GoodWe Sustainable Development Research Institute, presenting)

During the experience‑sharing session, Dr. Zhang Kenan, Dean of GoodWe Sustainable Development Research Institute, shared practical experience in participating in international public procurement, using the UNICEF Child‑Friendly Photovoltaic Project as a case study. Dr. Zhang provided an in‑depth analysis of the whole process from project needs alignment, solution design, bid preparation, to contract performance, offering valuable reference for enterprises on how to upgrade from product output to standard alignment.

VI. Expert On‑Site Q&A, Discussing New Pathways for Sustainable Procurement

The subsequent Q&A session brought the seminar to a climax, with enterprise representatives raising questions on topics such as UN sustainable procurement rules, ESG capacity building, green supply chain management, and how new energy enterprises can adapt to UN and international organizations' procurement rules to achieve green and sustainable development. Experts from the UN Procurement Project answered each question, creating a lively interactive atmosphere. Enterprise representatives expressed that they had gained a great deal from the session.

VII. New Energy + Sustainable Procurement, "Dual‑Wheel" Driving High‑Quality Development 

Currently, the global energy structure is undergoing profound changes, with the solar PV, energy storage, and hydrogen industries accelerating their integration. At the same time, the UN and international organizations are vigorously promoting sustainable procurement, making green, low‑carbon, and sustainable development the core keywords of international public procurement. The successful holding of this seminar not only built an efficient platform for new energy enterprises to systematically understand UN procurement rules, but also injected new momentum into the integration of China's new energy industry into the global green supply chain with higher standards and better quality.

This seminar is the first event on the UN Procurement Project organized by the Global New Energy Empowerment Center. In the future, the Center will continue to provide member companies with capacity‑building training, information sharing, and resource matching services, and hopes to help more Chinese new energy enterprises explore the blue ocean of international public procurement, contributing China's strength to the global green energy transition.