Forging new quality productive forces for global sustainability; The third CSO Forum and Sustainability Excellence Awards results unveiled

2024 marks the 20th anniversary since the concept of ESG first appeared in the United Nations, as well as the starting year of mandatory ESG disclosure by A-share listed companies. Last May, the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and the Beijing Stock Exchange officially implemented the guidelines on ESG disclosure for listed companies, hence fostering ESG development and embracing the new era of ESG are increasingly stringent for companies on their growth journey. As China advances to promote high-level opening up to the world, Chinese enterprises have now entered a new phase in going global, shaping a new state for technology, brand and trade in services.

Against this backdrop, EY Greater China Region (“EY”) hosted today the third CSO forum and Sustainability Excellence Awards presentation ceremony in Beijing with the theme of “Forging new quality productive forces for global sustainability”, where EY Sustainability Excellence Awards 2024 winners were announced, including 2 special jury awards winners, 16 outstanding companies, 3 outstanding individuals and 15 best practices. Launched in May this year, the Sustainability Excellence Awards has attracted participation from various representative companies and received submissions of how innovative practices are implemented in sustainability across industries.

Sharing new solutions and insights keynote speeches and roundtable discussions with attending guests and representatives from various industry addressed how the two major growth drivers – new engines for going global and new quality productive forces, may shape the next chapter of green development.

Jack Chan, EY China Chairman and EY Greater China Regional Managing Partner, says: “It has become a global consensus to actively address climate change and promote sustainable development. With the current complex geopolitical climate, enhancing independent innovation capabilities and developing new quality productive forces are crucial for China's high-quality development. This also expands opportunities for shared global economic growth, providing stronger momentum and vigor to the world's economic recovery.

“As a committed proponent of China’s high-quality development, EY Greater China Region has hosted the CSO Forum and Sustainability Excellence Awards for two consecutive years. The aim is to build a high-level dialogue platform to explore corporate sustainability, bringing diverse forces together to seek new pathways toward a green and low-carbon future. It also aims to share remarkable achievements in sustainability encompassing new energy, new materials, information technology and advanced manufacturing, as well as encouraging listed companies to play a leading role in supporting China’s high-quality development strategy.”

This year, we brought in the latest global sustainability evaluation system and ESG standards and continued to follow our professional and rigorous judging criteria. The independent judging panel deliberated with reference to the judging criteria the award recipients of Sustainability Excellence Awards, including outstanding companies, individuals, practices as well as special jury award winners. These outstanding companies, individuals and practices have demonstrated their commitment to sustainable practices and their role as a leader in driving innovation, an explorer in sustainable development, an advocate of rural revitalization, as well as a pioneer in globalization.

Michael Bi, EY Greater China Markets Managing Partner, says: “The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee has necessitated the development of new quality productive forces adaptively and that of green and low carbon. As a professional services organization upholding both integrity and innovation, this third consecutive year of the CSO Forum and Sustainability Excellence Awards highlights the role of these companies as a paradigm of their innovation and scalability, as well as their efforts in exploring new pathways, models and value in sustainable development. Through the platform of the EY Sustainability Excellence Awards, we look forward to discovering more benchmark companies and their practical experience in promoting sustainability and Chinese-style modernization, offering Chinese solutions for green transformation internationally.”

This year’s special jury awards go to Aluminum Corporation of China Limited (Chalco) and Sinofert Holding Limited (Sinofert).

Chalco, a leading aluminum company in China, has made proactive efforts to support the “dual carbon” strategy by embracing technologies for energy conservation and carbon emission reduction while fostering a circular economy. With a complete industrial chain encompassing bauxite mining, aluminum smelting and tech, logistics and international trade, energy and power, combined with its technology innovation and management philosophy, Chalco provides a strong underpinning for the value creation and sustained advancement in Chinese and global aluminum industry, as well as promotes high-quality development of the aluminum industry under the national “dual carbon” targets.

Sinofert, as one of the leading companies in biofertilizer and soil health innovation in China, upholds the cultivated land and food security strategy amid the transition of green development and new quality productive forces, and supports the national goal to be implemented at a household level in rural areas. Its project “HOPE Soil Health Platform” embodies Sinofert's core philosophy of agricultural sustainability by unswervingly promoting technological innovation and new business models. Sinofert also persists in focusing on soil and crop health, embracing regenerative agriculture, protecting cultivated land with integrated solutions for improved efficiency of nutrient utilization while reducing the use of fertilizer, and striving to contribute to sustainable agricultural development and food security.

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