Special Topic: 2026 Sustainable Global Leaders Conference & the Second Green Industry and Sustainable Consumption Expo. The 2026 Sustainable Global Leaders Conference was held from October 20 to 22 at the Huangpu Expo Park in Shanghai. With the theme "Building a Resilient Future Together: Global Governance, Innovation-Driven Development, and Industrial Upgrading," the conference brought together more than 300 guests from around the world, including representatives of United Nations-related agencies and multiple international organizations, Nobel Prize and Turing Award laureates, executives of leading domestic and international companies, and renowned think tank experts, to engage in high-level dialogue on the real-world challenges and opportunities of global sustainable development.
Zhong Xiaoyang, Deloitte's Global Leader Partner for Sustainable and Resilient Supply Chains, was invited to attend the conference and participate in a themed dialogue titled "Planetary Health Economics: Frontier Exploration and Global Action," where he shared Deloitte's cutting-edge views and practices in green technology innovation, iteration of business and supply chain models, and protection of the Earth's ecology.
Core Viewpoints
To achieve a balance between human development and the safety of the Earth's ecology, green technology innovation is the core lever. Enterprises need to restructure their business and supply chain models, multiple parties must coordinate to address the systemic crisis facing planetary health, and professional service institutions should also cultivate both internal and external capabilities to contribute to global sustainable development.
Interlocking Crises: Planetary Health Faces Systemic Challenges
During the dialogue, Zhong Xiaoyang said that planetary health is currently facing multiple overlapping challenges. Global warming is triggering climate disasters and degradation of the marine environment; biodiversity is being lost at an accelerating rate, and the natural service functions of ecosystems are difficult to replace with technology; pollution of soil, water bodies, and oceans continues to spread; and the traditional linear model of resource consumption is difficult to sustain. The root problem lies in insufficient coordination in global environmental governance and differences in the demands and resource allocation of various parties. Deloitte actively participates in the global climate governance process and promotes the formation of multi-party consensus.
Multiple Breakthroughs in Green Technology Build a Solid Technological Foundation for Planetary Health
In the face of systemic crises, Zhong Xiaoyang proposed that green technology innovation is the core lever for achieving a balance between human development and the safety of the Earth's ecology. In the medium to long term, safeguarding the climate and ecosystems while ensuring economic and social development requires building a diversified green technology system. He highlighted five technology directions worthy of attention: offshore wind power, fourth-generation small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), direct air carbon capture, water circulation and water purification, and renewable materials and the circular economy; at the same time, tracks such as sustainable agriculture, passive green buildings, and green data centers also have enormous value potential. Deloitte is also advancing special research related to water resources, continuously exploring innovative financial instruments related to biodiversity, and advocating AI-enabled sustainable development, using diverse technological means to build a solid technological foundation for planetary health.
Advancing Both Internally and Externally, Empowering the Green Transformation of the Value Chain with Professional Capabilities
To protect planetary health, Deloitte adheres to an action path of advancing both internally and externally. Internally, we continue to promote the low-carbon transformation of our own operations, implement global net-zero goals, practice sustainable concepts in internal operations, and mobilize employees to participate in ecological protection. Deloitte China deeply integrates sustainable concepts into daily operations: in fiscal year 2025, it achieved 100% renewable electricity supply for office premises, with total greenhouse gas emissions decreasing by 18.3% year on year. At the same time, it implemented multiple green operational measures. Offices launched a one-hour lights-off energy-saving action at noon, achieving a 7.1% year-on-year reduction in electricity consumption; voluntary mountain and beach cleanup activities were organized in multiple locations, mobilizing employees to participate in ecological protection practices. Externally, we leverage our professional service advantages to transform internal practices into professional service capabilities, helping enterprises integrate sustainable strategies into business decisions and restructure the global sustainable value chain from multiple dimensions. Especially for companies going global, we are committed to empowering them to adapt to green trade rules, reshape industrial chain competitiveness, and effectively manage risks related to green transformation.
Collaborative Innovation to Jointly Chart a Sustainable Future
Looking ahead, technological innovation, business model iteration, and global collaboration are all indispensable. Zhong Xiaoyang said: "We now need to change from the original development model of 'predatory consumption of the Earth's resources' toward building more of a circular economy characterized by 'closed-loop circulation with low emissions and low disturbance,' using clean energy as the foundation to promote deep integration between industries." Deloitte will continue to pursue its net-zero strategic goals: it has committed that by fiscal year 2040, across its entire global network, absolute greenhouse gas emissions from direct business operations and the indirect value chain—Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3—will be reduced by 90% overall, achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the value chain; it will work with multiple partners to promote the sustainable development of business and society through professional capabilities and practical actions, jointly safeguarding the safety of the Earth's ecology.
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