From March 18 to 19, 2024, the 1st Sino-Swedish Colloquium on Global Sustainability Governance and the 29th Luojia Environmental Law Forum of the Institute of Environmental Law of Wuhan University were held at the Institute of Environmental Law of Wuhan University. The seminar was co-sponsored by the Institute of Environmental Law of Wuhan University, the Department of Business Law of the School of Economics and Management of Lund University in Sweden, and the International Environmental Law Committee of the Environmental Resources Law Research Association of the China Law Society. Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, the Embassy of Sweden in China, Lund University, Stockholm University, University of Gothenburg, Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Wuhan Office, Swedish Institute for Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, Environmental Resources Law Research Society of China Law Society, Institute of Public Policy and Innovation of Shanghai Institute of International Studies, Xiamen University, Zhejiang A&F University, Chinese and foreign experts and scholars from Dentons (Shenzhen) Law Firm and Wuhan University gathered in Luojiashan to discuss global cooperation on the path to global governance to achieve carbon neutrality. All doctoral and master's students from the Institute of Environmental Law of Wuhan University also participated in the seminar.
On the morning of March 18, the opening ceremony of the seminar was held in Room 325 of the Law School. Prof. Tang Qizhu, Vice President of Wuhan University, Ms. Kontinlan, Counsellor of the Embassy of Sweden in China, Ms. Yin Lin, Sustainable Development Officer of the Embassy of Sweden in China, Prof. Qin Tianbao, Director of the Institute of Environmental Law of Wuhan University and Director of the International Exchange Department of Wuhan University, Prof. Jörgen Hettne, Dean of the Department of Business Law of the School of Economics and Management of Lund University and Director of the Center for European Studies of Lund University, and Associate Professor Andreas Inghammar, Executive Vice Dean of the School of Economics and Management of Lund University, delivered speeches successively. The opening ceremony was presided over by Dr. Hu Bin, Deputy Director of the Institute of Environmental Law at Wuhan University.
In his speech, Vice President Tang Qizhu first extended a warm welcome to everyone. He pointed out that the theme of the seminar, "Global Sustainable Governance", is a very important topic in both theoretical and practical circles, and this seminar provides a good platform for Chinese and Swiss experts to exchange views on the legal, economic and social issues involved in global sustainable governance. Professor Tang said that Lund University in Sweden is an important partner of Wuhan University in Europe, and hopes that through this symposium, scholars in related fields of Wuhan University and Lund University can further enhance mutual understanding and strengthen academic exchanges, so as to build the cooperation between the two sides into a brand project of Wuhan University's future internationalization work and make greater contributions to global sustainable development.
Professor Tang Qizhu, Vice President of Wuhan University
Ms. Kang Tinglan said that China and Sweden have been cooperating and exchanging in the field of higher education and academic research for many years, and that academic exchanges between China and Sweden can promote a win-win situation. In addition, there are long-standing commercial ties between China and Switzerland. She attached great importance to and cherished the friendly relations between the two countries, noting that this is also the basis for achieving the common goal of climate change mitigation.
Ms. Kontinland, Counsellor of the Embassy of Sweden in Beijing
Ms. Yin Lin pointed out that global sustainable governance is an important topic of concern to China and Switzerland, and this seminar has built a good platform for Chinese and Swiss experts and scholars to discuss issues related to global sustainable governance. She will continue to pay attention to the topics involved in this symposium, discuss with experts and scholars, and hope that the participants can carry out long-term and continuous exchanges on related topics.
Ms. Yin Lin, Sustainability Officer, Embassy of Sweden in Beijing
Professor Qin Tianbao first expressed his gratitude to all the guests for coming. After that, he gave a brief introduction to the history and development of the Institute of Environmental Law of Wuhan University. He mentioned that since its establishment, the Institute of Environmental Law of Wuhan University has trained a large number of environmental law scholars and practical experts, and has contributed to China's environmental rule of law and global environmental governance. He hoped that the symposium could reach more consensus between the two universities and scholars from the two countries, and that the guests would have a good time in the hospitable city of Wuhan.
Professor Qin Tianbao, Director of the Institute of Environmental Law of Wuhan University and Director of the International Exchange Department of Wuhan University
Professor Jörgen Hettne gave a brief introduction to the Department of Business Law of the Faculty of Economics and Management of Lund University and its achievements in internationalization, and said that the Department of Business Law of the Faculty of Economics and Management of Lund University has been working hard to explore ways to achieve sustainable development through commercial and trade means. After that, he and Professor Qin Tianbao exchanged gifts and took a group photo.
Professor Jörgen Hettne, Head of the Department of Business Law, Faculty of Economics and Management, Lund University and Director of the Centre for European Studies, Lund University
Prof. Qin Tianbao and Prof. Jörgen Hettne exchanged gifts and took a group photo
Associate Professor Andreas Inghammar gave a brief introduction to the history of Lund University and the development and achievements of the School of Economics and Management of Lund University in recent years. He said that China and Switzerland have increasingly close exchanges in the fields of economy and trade, and hoped to promote more in-depth exchanges through this seminar.
Associate Professor Andreas Inghammar, Executive Vice Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management, Lund University
Dr. Hu Bin, Deputy Director of the Institute of Environmental Law, Wuhan University
After the opening ceremony, the participants took a group photo in Conference Room 325.
After the group photo, Professor Qin Tianbao presided over the speech of the invited leader. H.E. Cecilia Ekholm, Ambassador for Sustainable Economic and Trade Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Dr. Liu Zhumei, Vice President of the Environmental Resources Law Research Association of the China Law Society, and Dr. Bie Tao, Chief Legal Counsel of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China and Vice President of the Environmental Resources Law Research Association of the China Law Society, delivered speeches successively.
H.E. Cecilia Ekholm delivered the speech via video. The presentation focused on business and sustainability, the importance of social responsibility and transparency. She noted that the Swedish government expects companies to protect human rights, equality, good working conditions, the environment, etc., in a sustainable and responsible manner, and to engage with other governments on issues related to sustainable and responsible business. She emphasised the need for companies to adhere to sustainable development, for example, in the area of climate change, where more and more companies have pledged to reduce carbon emissions. Finally, H.E. Cecilia Ekholm suggested that international cooperation and information sharing should be strengthened to better promote the implementation of sustainable development policies by enterprises.
H.E. Cecilia Ekholm, Ambassador for Sustainable Economic and Trade Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden
Dr. Liu Zhumei then delivered a speech. Dr. Liu served as the presiding judge of the Environmental Resources Division of the Supreme People's Court, where he contributed to China's ecological environment protection and governance. She emphasized that the judiciary is playing an increasingly important role as an important part of ecological and environmental governance, and Chinese courts have always adhered to the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, providing strong judicial services and guarantees for the construction of a beautiful China where man and nature coexist in harmony. First, the increase in the number of environmental resource cases heard by courts over the past five years reflects the role of environmental justice in Chinese courts and the growing awareness of the environment. Second, Chinese courts have given full play to their role in the judicial protection of environmental resources to serve the fight against pollution, the development mode and green and low-carbon transformation, the continuous improvement of the diversity and stability of the ecosystem, and the active and steady promotion of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Third, Chinese courts have comprehensively promoted the professionalization of environmental resources adjudication, improved the specialized trial organization system, explored the integration of criminal, civil and administrative adjudication functions of social and environmental resources, deepened the centralized jurisdiction of cases, and promoted the governance of the integrated ecological environment protection system. Fourth, Chinese courts should establish and improve the norms for the application of law in environmental and resource cases, strengthen judicial interpretations and policy formulation, and ensure the administration of cases and justice. Fifth, Chinese courts have deepened international exchanges and cooperation, provided China's solutions for global environmental judicial protection, and won wide recognition and praise from the international community for their practical actions in promoting ecological and environmental protection through judicial adjudication. Finally, she called for international cooperation to jointly address current environmental issues such as climate change, and hoped that this symposium would bring together the wisdom of experts to help build a community with a shared future for the earth where man and nature coexist in harmony.
Dr. Liu Zhumei, Vice President of the Environmental Resources Law Research Association of the China Law Society
Dr. Bie Tao reviewed and looked forward to China's environmental legislation. First of all, he introduced the important achievements made in China's modern environmental protection in the past 50 years, as well as the founders and promoters of China's modern environmental protection such as Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping. He judged China's current environmental situation, saying that the current ecological environment quality is showing a steady and improving trend, but the results are not stable, and the inflection point has not yet arrived. Secondly, he talked about the achievements of environmental legislation since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, pointing out that the current legal system of ecological and environmental protection has been formed. Subsequently, he briefly introduced China's basic legal system for environmental protection, summarized the new direction of environmental protection legislation, and said that China will actively promote the codification of ecological and environmental codes and start legal clean-up in due course. Finally, he wished the Institute of Environmental Law of Wuhan University fruitful scientific research achievements and Sino-Swiss environmental cooperation!
Dr. Bie Tao, Chief Legal Counsel of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China and Vice President of the Environmental Resources Law Research Association of the China Law Society
Under the chairmanship of Dr. Zhang Meng, Professor Jonas Ebbesson, Director of the Environmental Law and Policy Research Center of Stockholm University and former Chairman of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee, and Professor Qin Tianbao, Director of the Institute of Environmental Law of Wuhan University and Vice Chairman of the Nagoya Protocol Compliance Committee, made keynote speeches on the rule of law in the context of transboundary environment and climate transition, and the rule of law in the context of transboundary environment and climate transition.
Professor Jonas Ebbesson gave a keynote speech on "The Rule of Law in the Context of Transboundary Environment and Climate Transition". He began by proposing the need to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. Finally, through the elaboration of three cases: the right to public participation, corporate responsibility, and climate change litigation, he concluded that the rule of law in the context of transboundary environment has been developed at the level of public participation rights, but has not been taken seriously at the level of corporate responsibility, and has been applied in climate change litigation, and the rule of law in the context of transboundary environment has been supported by the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as UN Resolution 76/300 on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, are essential for sustainable governance.
Professor Jonas Ebbesson, Director of the Centre for Environmental Law and Policy at Stockholm University, Sweden and former Chair of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee
Professor Qin Tianbao gave a keynote speech on the topic of "Synergy between International Climate Change Law and International Biodiversity Law". He first introduced the scientific connotation and classification of "Synergy", and then he elaborated on the mechanism of synergy between UNFCCC and CBD, including the functions of the Secretariat, scientific and technological means, policy instruments, action levels, and financial means;
Professor Qin Tianbao, Director of the Institute of Environmental Law at Wuhan University and Vice Chairman of the Nagoya Protocol Compliance Committee
In the roundtable discussion and Q&A session, Dr. Zhang Meng asked questions about the two keynote speakers, which focused on international environmental law issues such as treaty-making to protect the public's right to participate in the environment, the balance of interests in the process of carbon neutrality, and how to coordinate carbon emission reduction and biodiversity conservation.
From the afternoon of March 18th to the afternoon of March 19th, the seminar was held in three modules.
The theme of the first session is "Sustainable Governance Pathways for Carbon Neutrality". The module is divided into two parts, the first half of which is moderated by Professor Jonas Ebbesson. Professor Yu Hongyuan, Director of the Institute of Public Policy and Innovation at the Shanghai Institute of International Studies, Professor Karin Bäckstrand from the Center for Global Governance at Stockholm University, Sweden, and Dr. Zhang Meng from the Department of Business Law, School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Sweden, gave their views on "Geo-Climate Competition and New Progress of the Dubai Climate Conference", "The EU's 2050 Climate Neutrality Governance Path in the Context of Geopolitical Crisis", "Decoupling or Decarbonization: A New Path to Building a Climate Club in a Polarized World: Coordinating the EU-China Carbon Market" and other issues. In the second half of the session, under the chairmanship of Associate Professor Zhou Chen, Professor Emily Boyd of the Center for Sustainable Development of Lund University in Sweden, Associate Professor Liu Jing of the Institute of Environmental Law of Wuhan University, and Professor Ji Li, Director of the Department of Radio and Television of the School of Journalism and Communication of Wuhan University and Director of the Center for Science and Environmental Communication of the Media Development Research Center, respectively focused on "Future-oriented Loss and Damage Governance", "The Tool Portfolio of China's Dual Carbon Governance", and "The Shaping of Public Discourse on Climate Change by Mass Media and Its Impact on Climate Governance: A Case Study of China" and other topics.
The theme of the second session is "Sustainable Green Economic and Trade Transition". Under the chairmanship of Associate Professor Andreas Inghammar, Professor Lu Xuedu, former Deputy Director of the National Climate Center of China and former Chief Expert on Climate Change of the Asian Development Bank, Professor Jörgen Hettne, Head of the Department of Business Law, School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Sweden and Director of the Center for European Studies at Lund University, Professor Qi Shaozhou, Director of the Research Center for Climate Change and Energy Economics of Wuhan University and Director of the Center for European Studies of Wuhan University, Associate Professor Christer Ljungwall of the Department of Economics, School of Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and Dr. Gu Jin, Lecturer of Law at the School of Liberal Arts and Law, Zhejiang A&F University, successively made speeches on topics such as "Comments and Prospects on the Development of International Carbon Trading", "Legal Achievements and Challenges of the EU's Green Transition", "China's Carbon Pricing Policy and Its Impact on Sustainable Economy and Trade", "Economic Challenges for Sustainable Development", "Climate Ambition or Trade Protection: Climate and Trade Equity".
The theme of the third session is "ESG, Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance". Under the chairmanship of Associate Prof. Yu Chuxi, Associate Dean of the School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Associate Professor Andreas Inghammar, Executive Vice Dean of the School of Economics and Management, Associate Professor Radu Mares, Director of the Research Department of the Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Sweden, Associate Professor Zhou Chen, Deputy Director of the Environmental and Energy Law Research Center of Xiamen University Law School, Xu Min, Director of the Wuhan Office of the China Representative Office of the Swedish Institute of Environmental Sciences, Beijing Dentons (Shenzhen) Mr. Shu Shu, a partner of the law firm, delivered keynote speeches on "Frontier Social Sustainability Issues - The Importance of Current and Future EU Legislation to Promote Social Sustainability in Supply Chains", "EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Regulatory Framework and Its Impact", "New Governance Tool ESG to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals and Climate Neutrality - A Local Practice Example in Xiamen", "Life Cycle Assessment Thinking and Application of Green Supply Chain Management", "Analysis and Case Analysis of ESG Information Disclosure Rules of Shenzhen Stock Exchange", etc.
On the afternoon of March 19, the closing ceremony of the seminar was held. The closing ceremony was presided over by Dr. Zhang Meng from the Department of Business Law, School of Economics and Management, Lund University, Sweden, who expressed his gratitude to the participating experts and scholars for their active participation, careful preparation and wonderful speeches. Prof. Qin Tianbao, Ms. Kang Tinglan, Prof. Jörgen Hettne and Assoc. Prof. Andreas Inghammar made concluding remarks.
Professor Qin Tianbao first expressed his gratitude to the experts and scholars for their wonderful speeches, and affirmed the efforts of the conference preparatory team, especially the student volunteers. Secondly, he summed up the conference with "diversity": participants from different regions and cities, with different identities and professions, have different views, but they can seek common ground while reserving differences in this seminar and jointly contribute to global sustainable governance. Finally, Professor Qin hopes that this conference will build a bridge of cooperation between Chinese and Swiss scholars, and that experts will continue to maintain contacts and exchanges in the future, deepen cooperation, and jointly contribute to global sustainable governance.
Ms. Kang Tinglan said that she was very happy to spend two happy and fulfilling days in Wuhan. She believes that the holding of this workshop is very meaningful for sustainable governance, climate change and biodiversity, etc., and she is very happy and happy to support the holding of the symposium, and looks forward to holding more similar conferences in the future.
Professor Jörgen Hettne expressed his gratitude to the organizing committee for the invitation and hospitality, and said that he had spent two wonderful and unforgettable days at Wuhan University. He pointed out that there was a lot to gain from this seminar, and the issue of global sustainable governance will become more and more important in the future, and this seminar is of great significance to solve the problem of sustainable governance.
Assoc. Prof. Andreas Inghammar said that he was very happy to be able to visit the beautiful Wuhan and Wuhan University and enjoy the beautiful cherry blossoms. The symposium brought together scholars of different ages, regions, and native languages to understand each other, discuss global sustainable governance, and fight for a common future and challenging issues. He believes that this is what universities are all about, to discuss, to listen and to learnpractice。 Finally, he welcomed the participating teachers and students to come and learn at any timepractice。
This is the end of the first Sino-Swiss Symposium on Global Sustainable Governance. This symposium is the result of further cooperation between Chinese and Swiss scholars following the visit of our faculty and students to Lund University in August 2023, which not only realized the exchange and sharing of cutting-edge topics in environmental law, but also provided a feast of friendship for Chinese and foreign environmental law colleagues to enhance understanding. The Institute of Environmental Law of Wuhan University has always focused on building an international academic exchange platform, bringing together the wisdom of Chinese and foreign experts and scholars to help global environmental governance. At the same time, this seminar also provided valuable learning for the majority of graduate studentspracticeOpportunities are conducive to broadening international horizons, inspiring academic ideas, and promoting the cultivation of international talents.