On December 2, the 13th China Sustainable Investment Forum (China SIF) Annual Conference was successfully held in Beijing. The conference was hosted by SynTao Greenfinance, with the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative (UN SSE) as co-organizers. Dozens of experts from regulatory bodies, the market, and academia shared their views centered on the theme “Reshaping the Global Landscape, Discovering Emerging Opportunities.” Over 300 representatives from financial institutions, listed companies, and academic institutions attended the event in person, while the number of online viewers exceeded one million for the first time.
During the two keynote speech sessions in the morning, Wang Zhongmin, former Vice Chairman of National Council for Social Security Fund and Honorary Chairman of China SIF; Maria Sosa Taboda, Head of Membership & Regional Coordination; Gao Weibing, Party Secretary and Chairman of Guangzhou Futures Exchange; and Miyuki Zeniya, Founder of Evergreenp, delivered keynote speeches respectively on the theme of “Global and Domestic ESG Development Trends.” In the second session, Franziska Zimmermann, Managing Director of Sustainability at Temasek; Luisa Florez, Global Head of Research in Sustainable Finance, Ofi Invest Asset Management; President of the Engagement Committee at French SIF; Wang Yida, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of National Green Development Fund; and Su Gang, Executive VP, CIO and CFO of CPIC Group focused on the theme of “Exploring New Opportunities in ESG Investment” for their keynote addresses. The annual conference was chaired by Guo Peiyuan, Chairman of China SIF, Chairman of SynTao Green Finance, and UNEP FI China Representative.
Keynote Speech 1: Speakers on “Global and Domestic ESG Development Trends” (from top to bottom: Wang Zhongmin, Maria Sosa Taborda, Gao Weibing, Miyuki Zeniya)
Guo Peiyuan Chairs This Year's Conference
During the achievements release session, Zhu Xufeng, Professor and Dean of the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University and Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development Goals at Tsinghua University (Tsinghua SDG Institute), represented the Institute to release the "Research Report on ESG Rating System of Local Governments in China" series for the fifth consecutive year at the China SIF Forum. The "Research Report on ESG Rating System of Local Governments in China (2025)" released this time conducted a quantitative assessment of the overall ESG performance of 32 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and 120 cities in China between 2015 and 2025.
The report shows that the overall ESG performance of Chinese local governments presents a continuous upward trend. This rise is particularly significant during the late period of the 13th Five-Year Plan and the early period of the 14th Five-Year Plan, which aligns closely with the intensity of national policies regarding digital government construction and ecological civilization development. Among them, the overall ESG performance of the eastern coastal regions is notably better than that of the central and western regions, demonstrating significant advantages particularly in digital governance and debt risk control.
The report recommends accelerating the establishment of unified national standards for ESG governance information disclosure, setting up special funds to improve digital governance capabilities in the central and western regions, promoting the formation of institutionalized cross-regional ESG coordination mechanisms, and perfecting differentiated financing mechanisms based on governance performance. In the future, this research will carry out comparative studies on local government governance models in BRICS countries and "Belt and Road Initiative" partner countries, contributing Chinese wisdom to sustainable development knowledge from a Global South perspective.
Zhu Xufeng Representing Tsinghua SDG Institute Released the Research Report on ESG Rating System of Local Governments in China (2025)
In addition, this year's conference featured roundtable dialogues centered on the themes of “Policy Progress in ESG Investment” and “ESG Investment in the New Landscape.” It also held parallel forums focusing on current hot topics, covering four specific issues: “Diversification of ESG Ratings and Applications,” “Analysis and Assessment of Climate Risks,” “Progress in Sustainable Disclosure Domestically and Abroad,” and “Sustainable Agriculture and Nature Finance.”
Against the backdrop of fluctuations in global ESG development, China is actively promoting green transformation, with the scale of the green financial market continuing to rise. Sustainable disclosure standards, with a focus on climate-related disclosures, have also garnered widespread attention. In this context, the annual conference aimed to focus on the latest progress in ESG and explore the new landscape and opportunities for sustainable finance.
Conference Site
The full text of the “Research Report on ESG Rating System of Local Governments (2025)” will be subsequently released simultaneously on the official WeChat account and website of the Tsinghua SDG Institute. Please stay tuned.
