On 6 June, the Launch Ceremony of Regional Centre of Expertise Ningbo on Education for Sustainable Development (RCE Ningbo) & Forum on "Ningbo's Sustainable Future: Collaborative Innovation for Local Sustainability" were grandly held at Dongqian Lake of Ningbo. Officially accredited by the United Nations University as China's tenth Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (RCE), RCE Ningbo will serve as a regional hub integrating international sustainability education expertise with local resources, developing a model that combines Ningbo's distinctive strengths with global competitiveness.
RCE Ningbo Launch: Local Practice with Global Vision
The RCE, initiated and accredited by the United Nations University (UNU), promotes global sustainability through industry-academia collaboration and innovation. To date, nearly 200 RCEs have been certified worldwide. On 20 December 2024, the application by the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC)'s Centre for Responsible Business and Innovation (CRBI) was formally approved by UNU.
At the ceremony, Professor Jon Garibaldi, Provost and Pro-Vice Chancellor at UNNC emphasised that sustainability aligns with the university’s core values and strategy. The accreditation reinforces UNNC's commitment to advancing sustainability education, fostering cross-sector collaboration to develop impactful localised models.
Ms Miki Konishi, a UNU representative, highlighted that resilient, inclusive communities require collective efforts. She noted the symbolic significance of RCE Ningbo’s launch in 2025, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the RCE global network, and welcomed Ningbo's unique contributions to sustainability practices.
Dr Yuan Yu, Deputy Director and Party Member of Ningbo Development and Reform Commission, stated: "Sustainability is embedded in Ningbo’s urban DNA. We've pioneered a multi-tiered green manufacturing system, and RCE Ningbo will accelerate our global integration and green transition."
At the event, Professor Jon Garibaldi and Dr Yuan Yu jointly unveiled the RCE Ningbo plaque, witnessed by Ms Miki Konishi, Professor Kok Wei Khong (Dean of Nottingham University Business School China), and Professor Jing Dai (Director of RCE Ningbo), marking the official launch of this international platform.
Future Projects Launch: Innovation-Driven Sustainable Development
The launch ceremony also showcased RCE Ningbo's three future projects spanning industrial upgrading, technological integration, and youth empowerment:
1. ESG-Enabled Sustainable Development Project for Manufacturing Sector
This project is built upon the foundation of group standards, powered by a digital platform, and strengthened by the synergy between supply chains and finance, forming a trinity to drive ESG transformation in the manufacturing sector. It is dedicated to creating a replicable and scalable "Ningbo Model" for sustainable development in the industry.
Based on The Evaluation Specification for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) of Manufacturing Enterprises (Standard No.: T/NBJN 0002-2024), developed under the leadership of CRBI, a digital platform has been established to enable enterprises to conduct self-assessments, ratings, and continuous improvement in ESG performance. Ningbo Orient Wires & Cables will lead its supply chain in adopting this platform. During the event, RCE Ningbo and Orient Cables jointly launched the Supply Chain ESG Enhancement Initiative (Blue Carbon Programme 2.0), with Ms Xuewei Jiang, Secretary to the Board of Ningbo Orient Wires & Cables Co., Ltd., delivering keynote remarks.
Additionally, RCE Ningbo will collaborate with Ningbo Branch of Industrial Bank Co., Ltd. across ESG finance domains: standard implementation, green credit, dedicated ESG financing, research, advocacy, talent development, and international exchange. This partnership aims to synergise environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and corporate governance.
Professor Kok Wei Khong and Mr Botao Li, President of Ningbo Branch of Industrial Bank Co., Ltd., signed the ESG Finance Cooperation Agreement. Mr Qiming Mei, Vice General Manager of Ningbo Siming Auto Parts Co., Ltd., shared implementation insights as a case study representative.
2. 2025 smart Automobile Sustainable Development Cooperation Project
This project is entrusted by smart Automobile Co., Ltd. to carry out supplier carbon footprint verification research and smart Vehicle Sustainable Retrofitting Competition.
Dr Steven Zhou, Deputy Director of RCE Ningbo, highlighted prior achievements, including the successful smart Global Store Sustainable Operation Design Competition co-hosted by smart and the University of Nottingham’s tri-campus network.
Mr Linchao Liang, Senior Manager of smart Automobile Co., Ltd. ’s Corporate Office, and Professor Kok Wei Khong reaffirmed commitments to advance new energy vehicle sustainability through deepened collaboration.
3. ESG Hub Project with OHFI Asset Management: Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Development
RCE Ningbo will launch an inter-university competition to integrate AI with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), fostering cross-disciplinary innovation among six local institutions: UNNC, Ningbo University, Ningbo Tech University, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo University of Finance & Economics, and Ningbo University of Technology (in random order).
Funded by OHFI Asset Management, Mr Juewen Hu, CEO and Founding Partner of OHFI Asset Management discussed AI's role in quantitative trading. Professor Guoping Qiu, Vice Provost for Education and Student Experience, highlighted the initiative’s interdisciplinary value.
Intellectual Convergence: Collaborative Exploration of Sustainable Development Pathways
From the UN Sustainable Development Goals to China's Dual Carbon Goals, their realisation requires locally-grounded, actionable and inclusive solutions. As a pivotal port city, Ningbo possesses distinctive advantages in building a sustainable green urban future.
In her keynote address, Ms Miki Konishi underscored the imperative to transform educational methodologies to address interconnected challenges - climate change, biodiversity loss and socio-economic inequalities. She elaborated on the operational mechanisms of the global RCE network, highlighting planned 2025 community empowerment initiatives that combine academic research with practical application to cultivate solutions in responsible business innovation, collaborative community learning and youth engagement. She affirmed that RCE Ningbo, leveraging robust research capabilities, has emerged as a vital platform for nurturing sustainability leadership, particularly exemplifying best practices in industry-academia collaboration.
The roundtable forum "Ningbo's Sustainable Future: Collaborative Innovation for Local Sustainability" facilitated in-depth dialogue among sector leaders. Ms Bing Wu, Executive Director and President of Ningbo Xiecheng Group, shared practical insights on manufacturing digital transformation; Ms Xue Gao, Secretary-General of Ningbo Intelligent Manufacturing Association, articulated innovative pathways for green manufacturing from an industry perspective; Ms Yufei Jiang, Director of Advocacy and Service of B Corps China, examined corporate social impact frameworks; while Mr Denis Liu, Associate Compliance Director (China) of Ross Merchandising (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. proposed sustainability solutions through supply chain innovation. Chaired by Professor Chee Wei Phang, Head of Department of Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Management Systems at Nottingham University Business School China, the forum outputted multidimensional perspectives to inform Ningbo's sustainability journey.
The establishment of RCE Ningbo represents not merely a milestone for UNNC in sustainability education, but a pivotal step in Ningbo's integration into global sustainability networks. Professor Jing Dai emphasised: "Sustainability is not a checkbox, but a paradigm shift. Here in Ningbo, we are uniquely positioned to demonstrate that economic growth and ecological health can coexist, and that innovation can be firmly rooted in ethics."