The unveiling ceremony of the UNESCO Chair in Green Transition for Carbon Neutrality and Climate Change was held in Beijing on April 14, hosted by China University of Petroleum (Beijing).

The UNESCO Chair Programme, established in 1992, aims to promote resource sharing, information exchange, and collaborative cooperation among universities and research institutions worldwide to address major global issues and help achieve the sustainable development goals of human society.

With the strong support of the relevant departments of the Ministry of Education and 31 international organizations, energy companies, universities, and research institutions, China University of Petroleum (Beijing) successfully won the UNESCO Chair in Green Transition for Carbon Neutrality and Climate Change by the end of 2022 after a six-month fierce competition at home and abroad.

This chair is the 23rd UNESCO Chair in China and the first one directly related to carbon neutrality globally. Its establishment is an important measure to strengthen international cooperation in responding to global climate change and meeting the needs of global energy transformation.

It represents the comprehensive embodiment of the university's international strategy and professional strength and is a vivid portrayal of UNESCO's deep participation in global energy governance and active promotion of the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

At the ceremony, Wu Xiaolin, president of China University of Petroleum (Beijing), expressed gratitude to the guests and friends from all walks of life who supported the university's election as the chair.

She highlighted the impact of the national "dual-carbon" goals on university work, such as technological innovation, talent training, and discipline layout construction, as well as the proactive measures taken by the university in response to the energy transformation trend.

She reviewed the reasons and process of the university's application for the UNESCO Chair, saying that its establishment is a great recognition of the university's teaching and research level and international development by UNESCO. She added that the Chair will contribute to the betterment of China's solutions in carbon neutrality and energy green transformation.

The Secretary-General of the China National Commission for UNESCO, Qin Changwei, praised the university for its actively promoting the development of green energy transformation, carbon neutrality, technological innovation, scientific research, and talent accumulation in the context of global climate change.

He stated that the China National Commission for UNESCO will provide support and services for the chair, and hopes that the chair will strengthen cooperation with UNESCO and its member states and focus on strengthening its own construction.