Listeners from the Graduate School of Business and Entrepreneurship took part in a training seminar on the topic “Pathways to Achieving Low-Carbon Development and Carbon Neutrality for SCO Countries”, organized by the International Academy for Business Officials (AIBO) under the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China.

Participants’ feedback on the impressions gained during this training-practical seminar:

This training seminar became for us not only an educational process but also a school for directly mastering a new language of development of the 21st century — the language of green economy, clean energy, digital governance and carbon responsibility. The journey from the modern innovation pavilions of Beijing to the SCO demonstration zone in Qingdao, from memories of the Terracotta Army of Xi’an to laboratories of solar technologies showed one truth: in the future, a competitive economy is assessed not only by the production of goods, but also by what energy they are produced with, what ecological footprint they have and in what governance culture they are embedded.

Chinese modernization: systemic thinking beyond numbers

On the first day of the seminar, a broad discussion was held on an overview of China and its modernization processes, the governance concepts of Chinese leaders and the idea of “new quality productive forces”. The most important conclusion we drew for ourselves is that modernization in China is measured not only by large infrastructure or skyscrapers. At its core lies a culture of long-term planning, coordinated actions between local authorities, universities, enterprises and banks, as well as the calculation not only of economic efficiency but also of the environmental consequences of each project.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, in 2025 the country’s gross domestic product amounted to 140,187.9 billion yuan, increasing by 5.0% compared to the previous year. In the same year, the population amounted to 1,404.89 million people. The sheer scale already shows how every managerial decision affects the entire economic system. However, today the most interesting feature of China is not only its scale, but also its aspiration to combine this scale with “green” goals.

According to official data, in 2025 China produced 4,248.1 billion kWh of electricity from renewable sources — hydro, nuclear, wind and solar energy — which is 14.4% more than in 2024. By the end of the year, installed solar generation capacity reached 1,201.73 million kW and wind capacity reached 640.01 million kW. In addition, production of new energy vehicles amounted to 16.524 million units, increasing by 25.1%. These figures are not just statistics, but a connected chain of industrial policy, scientific research, production, finance and foreign trade.

Beijing innovation platform: 

27th China International Exhibition of Scientific and Technological Industrial Innovation

Pogram of the seminar: from theory to field experience

The seminar topics were broad and covered trade and economic cooperation between China and SCO countries; China’s green economy; practices of low-carbon development and pathways to achieving peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality through the development of industrial parks; the current state and prospects of new energy production technologies; the photovoltaic industry; international cooperation in green development; the global energy internet system and other topics.

Lectures were delivered by leading professors and researchers from the Institute of Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Center for Cleaner Production of the Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences, the Institute of Regional Economic Cooperation of Central Asia, as well as Peking University and also experts from the Europe and Asia departments of the Ministry of Commerce of the PRC, the International Organization for the Development of the Global Energy Internet System and the Renewable Energy Committee of the China Energy Research Society.

A strong aspect of the seminar was that each theoretical topic was supported by practical field experience. For example, we visited the 27th China International Exhibition of Scientific and Technological Industrial Innovation in Beijing. Here robotics, smart manufacturing, railway models, medical technologies, and digital services were simultaneously presented. They were united by a common line — energy efficiency, digitalization and the ability to quickly enter the market.

In Qingdao, we became acquainted with such facilities as the SCO Pearl International Exhibition Center, the SCO integrated trade and economic cooperation platform, the “single window” system for foreign trade, the SCO innovation base for ecological protection and sustainable development, the carbon management service center, the green and low-carbon innovation technology park, the enterprise “Qingdao Daneng” LLC, the Qingdao High-Tech Zone, as well as the enterprises “Daneng New Energy” LLC. These visits clearly showed that the “green economy” is not just an environmental slogan, but a whole management system from land allocation to laboratories, taxes, export certificates and personnel training.

Lesson of Qingdao: an industrial park is not just a piece of land, but an ecosystem

In Uzbekistan, an “industrial park” is most often understood as a prepared infrastructural area with electricity, gas and water supply networks and tax incentives. The Qingdao experience expands this concept: an industrial park is not a “territory for placing enterprises”, but a living ecosystem integrating technological services, laboratories, environmental monitoring, export, a “single window” customs system, banking and financial sectors, workforce training and marketing.

The integrated platform in the SCO demonstration zone serves to accelerate trade and economic cooperation. Here information about products, documents, certificates, logistics and partner search are connected through digital solutions. The concept of a “single window” here means not manual coordination between agencies, but a digital infrastructure that reduces time and costs for entrepreneurs.

The carbon management service center made a special impression on us. Its task is to help enterprises measure emissions, analyze energy consumption, calculate the carbon footprint of products, adapt to environmental standards, access green financing and prepare for external market requirements. As environmental requirements increase in Europe, Asia and other regions, such services become as necessary for exporting enterprises as accounting or banking services.

Uzbekistan has export potential in textile, construction, chemical, food, electrical engineering and automotive industries. However, the new stage of export is connected not only with product quality, but also with energy sources, water consumption, waste cycles, and the carbon footprint of production. Therefore, the Qingdao lesson has practical significance: at each major free economic zone or industrial park, it is necessary to create carbon service centers, clean production units, and green certification systems.

Xi’an and Longi: the meeting of history and technology

The trip to the city of Xi’an became the spiritual and historical part of the seminar. In the Terracotta Army pavilion, history seems to come alive: ancient statehood, military discipline, crafts and culture enter into a dialogue with the modern spirit of China’s development. This reminded us that development is not only about building new factories, but also about the ability to connect historical memory with economic future.

Familiarization with the green energy technology company “Longi Group” showed where the industrial heart of China beats today: solar panels, photovoltaic modules, laboratories, quality control, automated production, and access to the global market. Success in the photovoltaic industry is ensured not only by panel assembly, but by a full value chain — silicon raw materials, glass, inverters, storage systems, service, financing, and guaranteed operation.

Uzbekistan is a country with a large number of sunny days. However, the availability of solar resources alone does not mean industrial advantage. To develop it, it is necessary to build a chain of services, personnel for installation and maintenance, cooperation in batteries and inverters, educational programs, financial mechanisms, and energy storage infrastructure. The experience of Longi encourages us to think in exactly this chain-oriented way.

Conclusion: green economy as a new development culture

During the trip to China, we saw not tall buildings or wide streets, but how planning, discipline and technology serve a single goal. Robots and smart devices at the Beijing exhibition, the SCO platform and carbon management center in Qingdao, history and culture in Xi’an and solar technologies at Longi — all of this together brings the concept of “low-carbon development” to life.

For Uzbekistan, this path is of great importance. With a population of more than 38.2 million people, economic growth of 7.7% in 2025, and foreign trade of 81.2 billion dollars, issues of energy demand, industrial modernization and environmental sustainability become inseparable. The transition to a green economy is not only clean air, but also new jobs, exports, modern education, digital governance, new finance, and public welfare.

In this regard, the following proposals represent a practical contribution of scientists to societal development. They are based on the analysis of Chinese experience and the prospects of bilateral scientific and practical cooperation and are aimed at accelerating low-carbon development and elevating cooperation to a new level.

• Establishment of “Carbon Management and Clean Production Centers” in each major industrial zone. Such centers will provide enterprises with energy audit services, carbon footprint calculation, waste reduction, green certification, and environmental labeling. Pilot projects can be launched in Tashkent region, Navoi, Jizzakh, Angren, Kokand, and Bukhara industrial zones. 

• Introduction of a “Green Export Passport” system. If a digital product passport is created for exporting enterprises with data on energy consumption, water use, share of recycled materials, certificates and logistics footprint, it will increase trust in foreign markets. This system is especially important for textile, agricultural, construction and chemical products. 

• Opening of an “Uzbekistan–China Green Industrial Laboratory” within the SCO framework. By creating joint laboratories with participation of universities, industrial enterprises, and technology companies, it is possible to conduct applied research in solar and wind energy, energy storage, water conservation, waste recycling and carbon reporting. 

• Further digitalization of export and customs services based on Qingdao’s “single window” practice. Integration of certificates, customs, logistics, transport documents and payments into a single platform reduces export costs. This especially facilitates access of small and medium-sized businesses to foreign markets. 

• Expansion of training programs in solar energy from “installation to service. ”Short-term certification courses on installation of solar panels, inverters, batteries, maintenance and safety should be organized in vocational education institutions. This simultaneously supports youth employment and green economy development. 

• Increase in green loans and energy-efficient leasing products for industrial enterprises. Through banks, international financial institutions, and state guarantee mechanisms, the leasing of energy-efficient equipment, solar installations, heat pumps, and waste processing equipment can be made more affordable. 

• Introduction of a regional “green rating” system. If regions and districts maintain an open rating based on energy efficiency of enterprises, waste recycling, water conservation, green spaces, and eco-transport, it will create healthy competition. 

• Integration of electric buses, charging stations, and solar-powered bus stops in cities. For the transition to environmentally friendly public transport, electric buses should be planned together with local service infrastructure, charging stations, and solar-powered stops. 

• Development of eco-industrial zones based on a “zero waste” principle. If an industrial symbiosis model is implemented, where waste from one enterprise becomes raw material for another, landfill waste will be reduced and energy and material savings achieved. 

• Launch of the “Green Silk Road” exchange program for students and researchers of Uzbekistan and China. Between universities of Beijing, Qingdao, Xi’an, Tashkent, Samarkand and Nukus, it is advisable to organize short-term internships, joint scientific papers and startup competitions. 

Z.U. Berdinazarov, Acting Professor of the Department of Business Administration and Entrepreneurship (MBA), Doctor of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor.