The three-day Seminar on APEC Technologies Empower Low Carbon Action (TELCA) concluded in Shenzhen's Longhua District on September 4, bringing together over 40 delegates from 18 member economies to explore technology roadmaps, accessibility and partnerships for the green transition.
The seminar featured 12 keynote speeches, six parallel sessions and four field visits. In a video address, Xu Hongbin, Deputy Director of the China Science and Technology Exchange Center, said technological innovation is key to the green transition and that China is ready to share its R&D and industrialization experience with APEC partners.
Zhang Gaofeng, Member of the Standing Committee of Longhua District, said the district is home to more than 600 new-energy enterprises and will establish an APEC low-carbon technology demonstration platform through the Shenzhen (Longhua) International Cooperation Center.
Hazami Habib, Vice Chair of the APEC Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI), called for technology roadmaps offering multiple pathways tailored to different economies, with affordability a key consideration for developing members.
Chen Ying, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, added that while economies face common transition pressures, each must pursue its own path, with the TELCA project providing a platform to share practices and find common ground.
Rashmi Banga, chief of the Development Research Branch at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, highlighted "urban mining" — recovering critical minerals such as lithium and cobalt from waste — as a strategic opportunity for developing economies.
Yoshinari Oyama, Green Technology and Liaison Officer at WIPO, called for better information-sharing to help move green technologies from labs to markets.
The seminar also launched the Asia-Pacific Low-Carbon Technology Demonstration and Cooperation Platform and reviewed the APEC TELCA Project Report, featuring Shenzhen case studies and policy recommendations on infrastructure, financing, standards and skills.
An enterprise exhibition showcased AI robots, green materials and smart devices, alongside a cultural zone blending intangible heritage with digital manufacturing. Delegates visited Meituan, Hello Tech Energy, Shenzhen Energy Group, Futian Mangrove Reserve and Shenzhen Talent Park to observe low-carbon applications in production, energy use and urban lighting.
Reporter | Cai Minling
Photos | Shenzhen Longhua International Cooperation Center
