Experts and scholars from Chongqing and France discuss low carbon economy development and transformation at the forum. [Photo/liangjiang.gov.cn]

A forum themed on low carbon economy transformation was held in the Liangjiang New Area, Southwest China’s Chongqing municipality on Dec 6 – with representatives from the area, the French embassy in China and the French consulate general in China attending.

Experts and scholars from both Chongqing and France talked about achieving a low carbon economy and industrial transformation and upgrading. They also talked about low carbon development trends, low carbon smart city construction and sustainable energy development, both on-site and online.

Wang Yu, member of the Liangjiang Party Work Committee, told the forum that Liangjiang had become an area with the highest level of opening-up, best environment and fastest economic growth in West China.

Liangjiang will reportedly use the forum as an opportunity to create a market-oriented, law-abiding and international business environment. It will provide broad development space, the best services possible and the most comfortable living environment for investors, Wang added.

Bruno Bisson, consul general of France in Chengdu, said that innovation was one of the most important measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make the economy low carbon.

According to Bisson, his country possesses advanced technologies in nuclear energy, carbon popularization, carbon engineering and hydropower, laying a foundation for future cooperation between France and China.

As Chongqing's economic growth and business environment attract more and more French companies there to invest, Bisson hoped that the forum would lead to cooperation in more areas between Chongqing and France – and contribute to the global transformation of the low carbon economy.

Currently, Chongqing is home to 41 French companies, including Societe Generale, the Renault Group, Schneider Electric, Carrefour and Faurecia in the Liangjiang New Area.

At present, Liangjiang is building an inland open gateway, a Chongqing smart city and a national leading area for vehicle networking, with rich low-carbon application scenarios.

Relying on its location advantages and open international environment, plans are for Liangjiang to attract more international resources – especially in the low carbon field – helping to pave the way for its high-quality economic development.