A delegation from Ningde, Fujian province, visited Germany from June 25 to 28 to attend the third Sino-European Corporate ESG Best Practice Conference and hold talks aimed at expanding cooperation with partners in the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia.

The conference, held on June 26 in Mainz, capital of Rhineland-Palatinate, brought together more than 500 representatives from China and Europe to discuss ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) development trends and new opportunities for China-Germany and China-Europe cooperation on green development. Attendees included Huang Yiyang, Chinese consul general in Frankfurt, and Francesco La Camera, director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Speaking at the conference, Pan Guoqiang, mayor and vice-secretary of Ningde city, highlighted Ningde's natural environment, cultural heritage, and economic development, and introduced the city's famous Fuding white tea. Pan said Ningde has integrated ESG principles into urban development and industrial upgrading and expressed hope that the conference would help advance practical cooperation, including mutual recognition of ESG standards and project development.

The delegation also held talks in Thuringia with officials from the state's Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Areas, its economic development agency, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS). Pan said he hoped CATL's investment in a battery plant in Thuringia would catalyze cooperation in vocational education, battery technology innovation, and sister-city exchanges.