The 8th Clean Energy Ministerial forum (or CEM8) was held in Beijing on June 6-8, with the theme "Tackling challenges through innovation, working together for a clean energy transition".
It's the first time China has held the event since its launch in the US in 2010.
Around 600 representatives from 26 countries, seven international organizations and global enterprises have gathered in the Chinese capital to brainstorm how to drive clean energy policies.
Helen Clarkson, CEO of the NGO the Climate Group, said people should view the situation in a positive light, despite the US' recent withdrawal from the Paris climate accord.
"There are other ways to tackle this issue. We don't necessarily need the US government, partly because so much in the USA is happening at the state level. We see big announcements from California, New York, Washington State and big companies," Clarkson said, "We are going to do this anyway. We are still in the Agreement. We actually want to come here and work with China and say some of the announcements coming out today are about China-California cooperation."
"We are going to continue working on these issues whether Trump has anything to do with it or not. The fact that matters is that the US economy has been and is going very green, and we are going to continue to do so," said Dr. Woodrow Clark, managing director of Clark Strategic Partners, an environmental and renewable energy consulting firm. "We want to see jobs created, reduction of pollution in the environment or water and other areas."
To achieve this goal, Clark pointed out that efforts should not just be limited to the private sector and that government must also be involved.
