Innovation on agenda at int'l climate forum in Vienna

People attend an international energy and climate forum in Vienna, Austria, on Nov. 2, 2023. The 2023 International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum, on the theme of "Progress by Innovation," kicked off here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Liu Xinyu)

VIENNA, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- The 2023 International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum, on the theme of "Progress by Innovation," kicked off here on Thursday.

The two-day forum brings together senior decision-makers, international experts and other stakeholders to discuss innovative ways of accelerating the energy transition, and boosting global climate action. The event will also feed insights into the upcoming 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, its organizers said.

The Vienna forum is jointly hosted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Austrian government and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said at the opening ceremony that ahead of COP28, the forum "can serve as an opportunity to underline the urgency of action to come up with innovative green solutions in the energy sector and to build coalitions."

Meanwhile, UNIDO's Director General Gerd Mueller said: "We need a new, sustainable, fair, global model of growth and globalization. That means producing more with less energy, fewer emissions and fewer resources. We will discuss and showcase concrete solutions for a green transformation to protect the climate, the people, and the planet for future generations."

Over 50 side events will be held during the forum. On Friday, the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization, a Beijing-based organization dedicated to promoting sustainable energy development, will co-host a side event on "Meteorology development for a sustainable future" with the World Meteorological Organization and Chinese tech giant Huawei.

People attend an international energy and climate forum in Vienna, Austria, on Nov. 2, 2023. The 2023 International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum, on the theme of "Progress by Innovation," kicked off here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Liu Xinyu)