Wang Yuanfeng:Vice Chairman of China Development Strategy Research Association, Director of Carbon Neutrality Technology and Strategy Research Center of Beijing Jiaotong University, and member of China Carbon Neutrality 50 Forum
In recent years, China has actively promoted the transformation from dual control of energy consumption to dual control of carbon emissions, and accelerated the pace of green transformation in key areas. Some time ago, COP28 (the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference) became the largest climate conference to date, and the world has launched a fierce game around energy transition, climate adaptation and other issues. It can be seen that promoting green development and building ecological civilization is the common cause of all mankind. As early as 2000, Wang Yuanfeng, vice chairman of the China Development Strategy Research Association and director of the Center for Carbon Neutrality Technology and Strategy Research of Beijing Jiaotong University, began to pay attention to climate change-related issues, and gradually focused on green buildings and ESG (environmental, social and governance, an evaluation system that evaluates the sustainability and impact of business operations from three levels). Over the past 20 years, the concept of green development has gradually taken root in the hearts of the people. Wang Yuanfeng said, "ESG work is still a new thing in China, and it needs to be promoted together with technical support and concept transformation. It can be said that ESG is a change in the business philosophy of a business, and it is also a new business civilization. Nowadays, Wang Yuanfeng attaches more importance to the strategic and systemic issues of energy conservation and carbon reduction, and carries out scientific research and current political commentary around scientific and technological innovation to support the response to climate change and achieve carbon neutrality. 
Concept + technology,Science + ArtThe "dual carbon" strategy is no stranger to many people. This is a strategic concept put forward by China as it enters a new era of development after decades of rapid economic growth. In September 2020, after China clarified its "dual carbon" strategy, "dual carbon" became one of the top ten buzzwords in 2021 and one of the top ten new words in 2021. On October 27, 2023, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment released the 2023 Annual Report on China's Policies and Actions to Address Climate Change, which shows that in 2022, China's carbon emission intensity will drop by more than 51% compared with 2005, and the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption will reach 175%, renewable energy ** capacity of 121.3 billion kilowatts. In response to this set of data, Wang Yuanfeng explained: "Under the dual control of energy and the carbon market, the baton of administration, and the carbon market, as well as a variety of energy-saving and carbon-reduction policies, on the whole, China's 'dual carbon' strategy has made many achievements. These figures show that China is a world leader in renewable energy, which is the most critical to the global transition to a low-carbon green environment, and more importantly, these advances have made China more confident in taking a green path and made the world's transition to carbon neutrality possible. ”Focusing on the construction field that Wang Yuanfeng is concerned about, under the above background, what is the importance of achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality in the construction field? Wang Yuanfeng said that many people do not know much about this issue. "In fact, we all live and work in buildings, so the carbon emissions of the whole life cycle of buildings are very high. According to the 2022 State of the Global Building and Construction Report, buildings accounted for around 37% of global carbon emissions in 2021. It can be seen that energy conservation and emission reduction in the building sector is very important for the world to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality. ”Understanding the source is the key to better problem solving. The carbon emissions in the construction sector are divided into two parts: one part is the emissions in the production and construction and transportation of steel, cement, glass, etc., and this part belongs more to the industrial field, and the current emission reduction pressure task is also very heavy. The other part of the emissions is generated by the use of buildings, which is closely related to everyone's behavior and philosophy. Energy-saving and carbon-reducing enterprises are the main force, and it is very important to practice the concept of ESG. Wang Yuanfeng said, "The performance of Chinese enterprises in the rating results of international rating agencies is not satisfactory enough, and this aspect of work needs to be vigorously strengthened." How to do ESG work well? There is an international saying that ESG+T, because environmental, social and governance all need to be empowered by technology, and ESG reporting itself is inseparable from the support of technology. Although we talk about ESG + T, I think it is more important for corporate personnel to change their business philosophy and form a new business civilization, but ESG work is indeed not good without the support of technology. ”
In the field of personal energy conservation and emission reduction, a green and low-carbon lifestyle of energy saving, water saving and electricity saving is the most convenient and effective practical method. Therefore, the concept of green development is an all-round and revolutionary change in the mode of production, lifestyle, way of thinking and values, and it urgently needs the support and dissemination of more people. Towards the end of the interview, Wang Yuanfeng emphasized that green and low-carbon development requires a combination of concept change and scientific and technological innovation actions. In his view, ESG work is not only about filling in ** and checking data, it is partly art and partly science. In addition, he emphasized that ESG also requires the actions of the company's employees and society. He called on everyone to participate in green and sustainable behaviors, starting from the small things of life such as turning off the lights and saving water, so that the whole society can form a green lifestyle and jointly build a green ecology. 
Q-Beijing Youth Weekly.
a-Wang Yuanfeng.
Moving from anthropocentrismLiving in harmony with natureqThe 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) reached the "UAE Consensus", and it can be said that the effectiveness of the negotiations and the results of the response to the meeting have received widespread attention. What information did you focus on for this meeting? aCOP28 has attracted global attention on the one hand, because climate change and the climate disasters caused by extreme weather are becoming more and more visible. On the other hand, the global human response is not strong enough, and people are rushing to find solutions. It is undeniable that after difficult negotiations, there was still very much progress in reaching a consensus. However, there is still no good plan for how to deal with climate change more effectively. Therefore, for COP28, in general, there is progress but also shortcomings, and the world still needs to accelerate the pace of climate change. qIndeed, the existential crisis caused by frequent climate disasters has intensified. So, what are the fundamental reasons for the crisis of tension between humanity and nature? aThe crisis of tension between human beings and nature is fundamentally caused by human erroneous economic theories and excessive economic behavior. If we want to change the climate, ecology and environment in a direction suitable for human survival, a key issue is to have a deep introspection and change in human economic behavior. For more than 250 years since the Industrial Revolution, human modernization has been mainly driven by the market economy. Human economic activities inevitably have externalities that cause damage to the ecology and the environment. The practice of human beings in recent decades has shown more profoundly that economic development cannot exist independently of the ecological environment, and that environmental factors such as capital, manpower and land must be incorporated into the paradigm of economic theory in order to better guide human economic behavior. 
qSo, the fundamental solution is still a change in human behavior? aYes. A very important concept is that human beings can no longer regard everything on the earth as an external resource for economic development, and must change the economic model of the past, which has caused great damage to the atmosphere, environment and ecology, and bring about essential changes in production and lifestyle, so as to walk on the road of sustainable development. This requires a social transformation from anthropocentrism to a new ecological civilization in harmony with nature, in order to solve the triple planetary crisis that threatens human existence. Be sure to emphasize the "e".Don't detach from the "e".qProtecting the environment is a common responsibility of human beings, and in recent years, the ESG work of enterprises has received more and more attention both internationally and domestically. What are the specific ways in which this can be implemented? aFirst of all, ESG work can only be easily promoted if the main person in charge of the enterprise pays attention. Second, companies should not only focus on "telling ESG stories well", but also make fundamental changes in governance mechanisms. In recent years, international and domestic requirements on greenhouse gas emissions have been continuously updated, and corporate governance needs to keep up. Finally, companies cannot do ESG work well without a strong professional executive team. To promote ESG work to be effective and in line with international standards, it is necessary to constantly think about and explore the ESG governance system suitable for the enterprise itself, and establish a dedicated and professional team. In the long run, Chinese companies will definitely be able to make progress in ESG, and eventually enter the global ESG advanced ranks. qWill China differ from other countries in terms of ESG or have its own standards? aThat's a good question, and it's something that everyone is discussing. Since there is no globally unified definition and disclosure standard for ESG before 2023, and the rating systems are often based on the ESG disclosure standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). What we need is to develop standards that are appropriate for our own countries. However, the premise is to emphasize the "e" and not deviate from the "e", especially in this regard, especially in carbon emissions, China and the global standards should be consistent. 
Finding strength in literatureqHow did you first get into the field of climate change? aThis field is indeed closely related to my profession. In 2008, when I was a member of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the first proposal I made was related to Beijing's response to climate change. After the Olympic Games, China began to vigorously develop green buildings and promote energy conservation and carbon reduction in the construction sector. In 2009, Jiusan** began to organize relevant research, and through participating in the political participation and discussion of the work of Jiusan**, I learned that the response to climate change is a very important concern of the world, and China is also a very important party. I think it's really important. So for so many years, I have been doing scientific research on building carbon emissions, building energy conservation and carbon reduction. More than 20 years later, this field still has important research value and significance. qIn addition to your area of interest, two novels have been published: "The Labor of the Heart", "The Year of Establishment" and a collection of poems, "The Trumpet in the Wind and Rain". What was the original intention behind the creation of these literary works? aThe original intention of creation is due to love. When I was in middle school, I had a hobby of writing, and I was writing for Yalu River magazine during college. As early as 1994, when I left the postdoctoral station of Beihang University, the first thing I did was to write the first ** "The Year of Establishment". I think the reason why I have been able to keep writing for so many years is because this hobby has played an important role in my life. In fact, every human being has a variety of emotions and feelings, and this emotion needs to find an outlet, and human beings need to find spiritual strength for themselves. Writing ** and writing poetry is a good emotional output for me, which will give me strength. qWhat did you want to express when you wrote the book "Labor of the Heart: The Labors of the Heart"? aTrue pursuit must be a kind of spiritual labor. This feeling also needs to be perceived in the course of life. In my working life, I have faced very serious challenges. At that time, I was constantly reading various philosophical and literary works, looking for the power of humanism. I'm deeply aware that sometimes, technology often can't give you that power, but literature can. Therefore, in the process of fighting against fate, I expressed my understanding and shared it, and I also hope to bring some resonance to people who have the same feelings or circumstances as me. 
textWang Yajing
EditHanhaha
People photographyLee Young-moo