By Office of Communications and Public Affairs
30 October 2025- Prof. Vilas Nitivattananon from AIT’s Urban Innovation and Sustainability program, School of Environment, Resources and Development, participated as a panelist at the 2025 Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Forum & Shenzhen National Low-Carbon City Forum, held on October 28–29 at the Shenzhen International Low-Carbon City, Longgang District, China.
The event, an international (Asia-Pacific) forum on green transition and low-carbon development, brought together policymakers, scientists, and experts from across the region to explore how artificial intelligence can drive sustainable urban growth and accelerate carbon neutrality goals.
Prof. Vilas joined the high-level dialogue titled “The Collaborative Path for Green Transition in the Asia-Pacific Region: From Policy Innovation to Technological Implementation.” The five-member panel moderated by Clayton Wang, Executive Secretary General of the SHENZHEN Development Center of International Low Carbon Forum, included:
- Riccardo Mesiano, Deputy Director and Senior Economic Affairs Officer, East and North-East Asia Subregional Office, UNESCAP;
- Yu Jing, First Secretary of the Party Committee, Shenzhen’s New Energy Storage Industry Innovation Chain;
- Javohir Jurayev, Energy Advisor, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Uzbekistan;
- Vilas Nitivattananon, Professor, School of Environment, Resources and Development, AIT; and
- Zhang Liang, Vice President, Shenzhen Wote New Materials Co., Ltd.
Drawing from his academic and regional development experience, Prof. Vilas shared insights on advancing low-carbon transitions and building sustainable urban systems across Asia.
He offered an important perspective, commending Shenzhen as an exemplary model for mega-cities in low-carbon development. Prof. Vilas cautioned, however, that its high-tech, top-down approach should be adapted, rather than replicated, for smaller cities that require stronger “bottom-up” engagement. His remarks emphasized the importance of a collaborative approach grounded in shared learning and mutual exchange, rather than one-way instruction.
Over two days of intensive speeches and dialogues, participants discussed policy innovation, collaborative governance, and cutting-edge technologies supporting the green transition. The forum highlighted Shenzhen’s pioneering role in decarbonization and concluded with a shared call for stronger international cooperation and trust to accelerate the region’s path toward carbon neutrality.
