The Paris Peace Forum was present at the China Development Forum, where we organized two major thematic events in partnership with the Finance Center for South-South Cooperation and the Center for China and Globalization (CCG): a private luncheon on ocean conservation, science, and the blue economy, as well as a roundtable discussion on governance of minerals to accelerate the energy transition.
Private luncheon on Ocean conservation
This private luncheon gathered more than 20 policymakers and experts from civil society and the private sector from Europe and China.
Key participants in this roundtable included:
- Pascal Lamy, Vice President of the Forum and former director of the World Trade Organization
- Geneviève Pons-Deladrière, President of Jacques Delors Europe Institute and its ocean Center
- Xue Luan, Cheung Kong Chair Distinguished Professor and Dean of the Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University
- Laurent Bardon, Head of the Green Transition Section and Counsellor for Environment and Climate Action at the Delegation of the European Union to China
- Henry Wang, President of the Center for China and Globalization
This discussion has put forward opportunities of cooperation between China and Europe for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans.
Key takeaways from the discussion were:
- Participants highlighted the current momentum for a global governance of oceans as shown by the Kunming-Montréal Global biodiversity framework’s target of protecting at least 30% of oceans by 2030, the United Nations Oceans Conference held in Nice in 2025 or the entry into force of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement in January 2026.
- The governance of maritime areas beyond national jurisdictions was discussed including the potential complementarities between the BBNJ framework and existing regional mechanisms such as the commission for the conservation of Antarctic Marine living ressources.
This luncheon was framed in a global approach including avenues for the Blue Economy, Ocean Conservation and scientific research, revealing promising developments for the strengthening of cooperation between China and Europe for conservation and sustainable use of Oceans.
Roundtable on Multilateral cooperation on Transition Minerals
This roundtable aimed to advance the dialogue among Chinese, European, and international stakeholders to find common ground on the governance of transition minerals and the acceleration of the energy transition.
Key participants in this roundtable included:
- Justin Vaïsse, director and founder of the Paris Peace Forum
- Geneviève Pons-Deladrière, president of Europe Jacques Delors,
- 马军 (Ma Jun), founding director of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs and member of the Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals
- Henry Huiyao Wang, president of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG),
- Sun Lihui, vice-president of Huayou Cobalt
The highlights of this discussion focused on finding common ground on the governance of transition minerals to accelerate the energy transition.
Key takeaways from the discussion were:
- Speakers emphasized that the global shift toward renewable energy has created a strategic dependency on minerals like lithium and cobalt, where China maintains a dominant position.
- Dialogue and cooperation are necessary to achieve climate goals in spite of rising geopolitical tensions and risks of supply chain fragmentation.
- Participants advocated for a multistakeholder approach to establish better aligned ESG standards and increase transparency to prevent market abuse and environmental degradation.The multi-actor approach was described as essential, with embassies, NGOs, private sector and think tanks, joining together to advance these topics.
- Fostering mutual trust through concrete cooperative projects is essential to balancing national security interests with the collective need for a sustainable energy transition.
Through this roundtable and initiatives such as the Global Council for Responsible Transition Minerals, the Paris Peace Forum plays an active role in global discussions on transition minerals and remains committed to help advance the deployment of clean energy at a global scale.
