A key forum dedicated to advancing ecological civilization was held in Hohhot — capital city of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region — on June 18.

The event featured a main forum and two parallel sub-forums, gathering prominent figures in the field of ecological and environmental protection, to discuss strategies for ecological protection, green transformation and high-quality development.

Among the keynote speakers at the main forum was He Kebin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the Institute for Carbon Neutrality at Tsinghua University. Also on the podium was Feng Qi, director of the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with three other top speakers.

Feng's keynote speech, entitled Work and Achievements in Desertification Control by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, provided an in-depth analysis of the country's efforts and progress in combating desertification, as well as the new tasks and national demands in the current era.

Feng highlighted the significant achievements in desertification control in Inner Mongolia. Reflecting on his personal experience, he said that Alshaa League in the region was extremely arid, with annual precipitation below 100 millimeters.

"When I started ecological construction in Alshaa in 1995, the area of Haloxylon ammodendron forests was very small," he said.

"After decades of development, these forests have now flourished extensively," Feng added.

Another keynote speech was delivered by He Kebin, entitled Dual Carbon Action and the Construction of a Beautiful China.

He emphasized that the country faces dual goals in its ecological civilization efforts: achieving carbon neutrality and building a beautiful China.

He stressed the need for coordinated efforts in pollution reduction and carbon emissions mitigation to address issues such as environmental pollution, human health, climate change and extreme weather – aiming for comprehensive improvement in environmental quality.

Furthermore, he pointed out three major global focal points for carbon neutrality: innovation in key core technologies, critical materials for new energy systems and a support system for dual carbon actions.

He underscored that key policy measures for China to achieve its dual carbon goals included autonomous emission reduction commitments by leading business enterprises in international supply chains, green trade barrier policies in developed countries and carbon footprint considerations.

The forum is said to mark a significant step in promoting ecological civilization — and it highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts and innovation in driving sustainable development and environmental protection.