The Shanghai International Carbon Neutrality Expo 2023 began on Sunday at the city's National Exhibition and Convention Center.

"The international carbon neutrality expo is devoted to creating a platform of collaboration and communication on green and low carbon innovation, and aims to promote the better future of our planet through mutual cooperation, innovation and development," Shanghai mayor Gong Zheng said during a speech.

Shanghai will focus on energy, industry, transportation and construction, and achieve the goal of serving the nation's carbon peak and neutrality goals via strengthening technological innovation and green finance, Gong said.

"Shanghai has been always at the forefront of the nation's green and low-carbon development, technological innovation and opening-up. To hold the carbon neutrality expo is of great significance for boosting collaboration by all parties," said Yang Yinkai, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission. "The hope is to create a platform for exchanging green and low-carbon policies, exhibiting products and achievements and facilitating enterprise cooperation to make active contributions to the global climate change fight and sustainable development."

Xie Zhenhua, China's special envoy for climate change, said during a video speech Shanghai has made quite a few achievements in green and low-carbon practices, and the city has unique advantages in global cooperation related to climate change.

"The carbon neutrality expo will surely promote experience sharing and collaboration, contribute solutions and wisdom to China's carbon peak and neutrality goals, as well as the world's sustainable development," Xie said.

An initiative on low carbon was declared at the science forum of the expo on Sunday afternoon, which proposed saving resources and protecting the environment on the part of all organizations, and all citizens to purchase sustainable products instead of disposable ones. The proposals also included naming the opening day of the Shanghai International Carbon Neutrality Expo 2023, or June 11, as a world low carbon day.

Titled "The Path Towards Carbon Neutrality", the event consists of themed exhibitions, forums and trade matchmaking activities. It will run through June 14.

Taking up 100,000 square meters of exhibition area, the expo has attracted 600 exhibitors from home and abroad and is expected to receive more than 100,000 visits from professionals.