On July 21th, 2022, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) sent a congratulatory letter to the 2022 World EV & ES Battery Conference which reads as follows:
On behalf of the Boao Forum for Asia, I would like to extend warm congratulations to the 2022 World EV & ES Battery Conference.
This is a conference that sounds technical but carries strategic significance. It is not just about how we power our industry and transportation, but more importantly about a green, low-carbon and sustainable approach to the way we live and work.
This new approach is vital to saving our planet as it is getting hotter and deadlier as we speak. If we do not act firm and fast enough, the global temperature may go well beyond the 1.5 degree ceiling. Consequences are dire, for the environment, for economy and for human health. For some countries, islands and communities, it is a sobering matter of life and death.
There are many ways to stop the worst from happening. Clean power from renewable sources is one. Electrify end users such as cars and trucks is another. Governments, industries and households are working hard and closely to tap the potential of wind, sun, water and biomass. More and more automakers and consumers are giving up on fossil fuels and going electrical. There are encouraging changes taking place here and there to steer clear of the looming climate crisis.
Every step in this direction matters, big or small, technical or strategic. This Conference will bring together industry leaders, regulators, scientists and engineers to work out promising technologies and innovative solutions. Remember, it is technological advances that will eventually work our way into a carbon-neutral future.
I appreciate the farsightedness of the Chinese Government and Sichuan Province in launching and hosting this conference. As the second largest economy, China’s vow to go carbon-neutral by 2060 is a big boost to the global climate fight. As a front-runner in renewable energies and electric vehicles, China has much to share with the world and much to contribute to our shared future of sustainable development.
So it is with Sichuan. As an emerging economic powerhouse, Sichuan knows well that it must go green, not the old, usual way of industrialization and urbanization.
This is vision. This is far-sightedness. Sooner or later, people will come to appreciate the value and power of green competitiveness. There will be a day when you have to face the harsh reality of “going green, or going broke”. The province of Sichuan, under the leadership of Party Secretary Wang and Governor Huang, has made the right choice.
The Boao Forum for Asia shares much in common with China – our host country – and Sichuan – our host province of an upcoming conference on urban & rural green development next year. We share our faith in a green, low-carbon and sustainable future. We share our belief in the power of cooperation to make it happen.