On February 10, the Unveiling Ceremony of the Institute of Carbon Neutrality and Forum on Carbon Neutrality were held at Henan University (HENU). The conference was attended by more than 60 people, including outstanding experts and scholars in the field of chemistry and chemical engineering in China, leaders from Henan provincial government and Kaifeng municipal government, representatives from domestic research institutions, universities and enterprises, leaders of HENU, heads of relevant functional departments, and representatives of teachers and students from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, with some of whom joining the conference online.

In the morning, the Unveiling Ceremony of the Institute of Carbon Neutrality was held at Minglun Campus. Suojiang Zhang, president of HENU, delivered a welcome speech. He pointed out that the establishment of the Institute of Carbon Neutrality is a significant step in implementing the carbon neutrality strategy of the Party Central Committee and Henan Province. It marked a new starting point for HENU where systematic deployment is made in achieving carbon neutrality. He hoped that leaders and experts would continue to pay attention to and support the Institute of Carbon Neutrality and give valuable opinions and suggestions on the development of HENU. Later, speeches were given respectively by Xiangyu Li, mayor of Kaifeng City, Wensheng Liu, director of Henan Energy Planning and Construction Bureau, Ying Wang, deputy director of the Department of Ecology and Environment of Henan Province, Tuo Gao, chief engineer of the Department of Science and Technology of Henan Province, Keshun Cao, second-level inspector of the Department of Education of Henan Province, Academician Mingyuan He, honorary dean of the Institute of Carbon Neutrality of HENU and director of the Academic Committee, and Xiangchen Fang, vice president and secretary-general of the Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China. They expressed sincere wishes for the future development of the Institute and promised that they would vigorously support the development of the Institute in funds, projects and policies. Keping Lu, secretary of the Party Committee of HENU, delivered a speech to express his welcome and gratitude to the experts and leaders attending the meeting. The unveiling ceremony was presided over by Zhen Tan, vice president of HENU.

At the ceremony, Wensheng Liu, Xiangyu Li, together with Keping Lu and Suojiang Zhang, jointly unveiled the Institute of Carbon Neutrality of HENU. Suojiang Zhang provided letters of appointment to Hongbin Cao and Yan Bai, announcing them dean and vice dean of the Institute of Carbon Neutrality of HENU. He then provided letters of appointment to the director, deputy director and members of the Academic Committee. At the conference, the signing ceremony between HENU and Henan State-owned Assets Holding and Operation Group Co., Ltd. was organized. Hongbin Cao introduced the construction plan of the Institute.

After the unveiling ceremony, the first meeting of the Academic Committee of the Institute of Carbon Neutrality of HENU was held. The Institute organized a high-level academic committee composed of 25 experts, including 14 academicians and entrepreneur representatives. At the meeting, the participants discussed the Institute of Carbon Neutrality, figuring out what it should do, what it can do, and what it should achieve. They discussed actively and gave suggestions on the future development of the Institute.

In the afternoon, the Forum on Carbon Neutrality of HENU was held at Jinming Campus. More than 400 teachers and students participated in the Forum. President Suojiang Zhang attended the Forum and delivered an opening speech. Later, reports were given by Academician Buxing Han, Academician Kebin He, Academician Xiaoye Zhang, Researcher Wei Wei, Professor Shenglei Fu and Professor Jianying Zhong. They exchanged views and ideas on the background, meaning, goals, challenges and implementation measures of carbon neutrality.

The Institute of Carbon Neutrality of HENU focuses on the major strategic needs of China, and makes systematical deployments in energy production, consumption, and carbon sink to build an open cooperation system composed of universities, scientific research institutes, and enterprises. It aims to reach a number of important theoretical achievements and influential scientific and technological results in the next five years and attract and cultivate a group of talented personnel in carbon neutrality to play a leading role in the field of carbon neutrality.