During the 2026 World Dairy Congress on August 1, the Global Green Leaders Initiative was officially launched at a project exchange meeting in Hohhot, hosted by the Green Belt and Road International Alliance and supported by China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited. The Hohhot Global Green Leaders Initiative was formally released, with representatives from UN agencies, national ministries, local governments, research institutions, and leading cross-industry enterprises witnessing its implementation.
Notably, just two days prior to the initiative's launch, the Ulan Buh Desert control case was officially submitted to the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). This marks a shift from individual ecological management projects to cross-industry international cooperation platforms, as Chinese enterprises seek to transform their green practices into replicable and scalable global experiences, offering more Chinese solutions for international green governance.
From Desert Control Practice to a Global Platform: Green Cooperation Enters a New Phase
UN Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva said in a video address that the green and low-carbon transition is both a major global challenge and a significant opportunity. He encouraged more enterprises to join the Global Green Leaders Program and share their green transformation experiences. Yu Huiwen, a member of the Standing Committee of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Party Committee and Secretary of the Hohhot Municipal Party Committee, stated that Hohhot will leverage its advantages in green energy and computing resources to warmly welcome domestic and international businesses to invest and cooperate in international green initiatives.
Zhao Yingmin, former Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment and Chairman of the Green Belt and Road International Alliance, noted that the green and low-carbon transition has become an irreversible trend. The newly launched Global Green Leaders Initiative serves as a platform for leading enterprises to share practices with Global South countries. He sincerely invited global industry leaders to join the initiative and share in green development opportunities.
Pei Xiaofei, Director and Spokesperson of the Department of Publicity and Education at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, highlighted that China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited, based in Hohhot, has continuously advanced desert ecological restoration, zero-carbon factory construction, and low-carbon supply chain development. By embedding green concepts throughout its production chain, it provides a solid practical model for the initiative's implementation.
Gao Fei, President of China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited and a core initiator of the initiative, stated that corporate green development is shifting from passive compliance to active leadership. The initiative's original intention is to transform the Chinese dairy industry's green practices into replicable, scalable, and communicable Chinese solutions, contributing Chinese wisdom to global green governance. "We sincerely invite global peers to define rules through action, transcend competition with cooperation, and make greater contributions to the green future of our shared home," he said.
Four Key Directions Define the Initiative's Focus, with Cross-Industry Collaboration as a Highlight
The Hohhot Global Green Leaders Initiative focuses on four directions: First, deepening green practices to lead industrial transformation by integrating green concepts into core business operations. Second, strengthening ecological governance and promoting systemic protection by incorporating climate change response, desertification control, and biodiversity conservation into corporate strategy and governance. Third, participating in rule-setting to enhance international contributions by engaging in discussions and mutual recognition of international rules and technical standards. Fourth, strengthening international cooperation to promote green inclusivity, leveraging platforms like the Green Belt and Road International Alliance to build mechanisms for technical exchange, standard mutual recognition, and best practice sharing.
Unlike previous industry-specific initiatives, this one extends beyond the dairy sector, attracting participation from enterprises in manufacturing, energy, and infrastructure, including Hisense Group, COFCO International, China Communications Construction Company, and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL). This signals a move toward cross-industry collaboration in green transformation. Against the backdrop of evolving international green trade rules and increasing demands for supply chain carbon reduction, no single industry can independently achieve green transformation. Cross-industry synergy is becoming a key direction for enhancing industrial chain competitiveness.
From global environmental governance to diversified systemic governance, and from desertification control to full-chain green resilience, broad consensus was reached across government, industry, academia, and research sectors. Attendees agreed that the Hohhot Global Green Leaders Initiative serves as a practical vehicle for the green Belt and Road Initiative and establishes an open cooperation platform for cross-industry and cross-border collaboration in addressing ecological challenges.
Moving forward, the initiative will continue to attract leading enterprises and professional institutions from various industries, enrich practical scenarios, refine technical standards, and deepen international engagement. The goal is to transform more replicable and verifiable Chinese green governance experiences into globally shared public goods. All parties will take this exchange as a new starting point, embracing an open, inclusive, and mutually beneficial philosophy, to collaboratively explore sustainable development paths for ecologically fragile regions and inject lasting momentum into global green transformation and climate governance.