CBN Correspondent丨Coffee shirt, methanol bus, 100% green power…Boao goes all-in on zero-carbon push

Stephanie: Hello! Welcome to this edition of CBN Correspondent. I’m Stephanie Li.

Holding a cup of coffee made by a robot powered by green electricity, strolling leisurely around Dongyu Island, where solar panels glisten in the sunlight, PV tiles line the plaza ground, flower-shaped wind turbines gently spin in the sea breeze, and greenery-covered walls drape buildings in a lush ecological coat.

Quietly and seamlessly, a zero-carbon lifestyle has become part of people's everyday lives in this tropical land that became famous for holding the Boao Forum for Asia(BFA), which has been held from Tuesday to Friday this week.

Our correspondents, Sharon and Harry, are in Boao right now to cover the annual gathering. Apart from the daily hustle and bustle at the venue, they also explore the green highlights of this incredible event.

Harry: I’m here at the zero carbon demonstration zone in Boao. The zone covers an area of around 190 hectares and consists of three core carbon reduction areas: green transformation for buildings, renewable energy utilization, and green transformation for transport.

I can see a few of these flower-shaped wind turbines. They are designed to capture wind energy and convert it into electricity that powers the conference facilities. Notably, unlike traditional wind turbines, they can generate energy even in gentle breezes, ensuring consistent power supply.

The transport here is another green spotlight. The forum has introduced a fleet of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, green methanol-powered shuttles, and electric shuttles to transport attendees between venues, with zero emissions and noise pollution.

Stephanie: How’s the coffee there? I heard you could get a coffee with the “carbon coins” collected by recycling on the island.

Harry: That’s right. Recycling paper cups or plastic bottles, riding shared bicycles, using degradable tableware…all these “green actions” can help get you the electronic coins as every carbon footprint syncs to your account. You can use these coins to exchange for coffee and jianbing guozi, both made by smart robots! Well, I would say, the coffee has a double flavor—rich Hainan coffee and the refreshing tang of carbon-neutral achievement!

Stephanie: Sounds amazing! Thanks Harry and enjoy your coffee!

Sharon: And I’ve also discovered a “coffee magic” here. Guess what 3 cups of coffee grounds plus 5 plastic bottles equal to?

Stephanie: Emm…no idea. But don’t they belong in the trash can?

Sharon: No, these two can make a shirt!

I’ve talked to the staff member here, and he displayed an earthy-hued fabric to me, which is the magical coffee shirt. And the magic happens when caffeine-rich extracts from spent coffee grounds marry recycled polyester from melted-down plastic bottles, forming dark, gritty coffee pellets.

These are fed into a spinning machine, where they’re heated to a molten state and extruded into silken, amber-tinged yarns. Advanced weaving techniques then transform these threads into luxurious fabrics with surprising versatility—from buttery-soft knits to crisp, moisture-wicking blends—each carrying the faint aroma of roasted beans as a signature scent.

Stephanie: Wow, that’s incredible. Thanks Sharon!

In fact, all these technologies and innovations are managed by an intelligent platform at the near-zero carbon management centre in the demonstration zone that continuously tracks water supply, electricity consumption and air quality within the zone, and streams this information to management platform by collecting real-time data. So it’s basically the “brain” of zero carbon management.

The upgraded demonstration zone now generates approximately 30 million kWh of green electricity annually—enough to fully power the island’s 21 million kWh annual demand while feeding 9 million kWh of excess renewable energy back into the grid.

In 2024, the demonstration zone achieved a 96.2% reduction in carbon emissions, becoming the first region in China to reach near-zero carbon emissions.

In recent years, Boao has been actively promoting green development and building a zero-carbon demonstration zone, making it an important window into China's efforts toward sustainable development.

During a sub-forum with the theme of "Energy transition for a sustainable and shared future," Zhang Jun, secretary-general of the BFA, said that the forum attaches great importance to combating global climate change, promoting the implementation of the sustainable development goals, and pushing the world to take the path of sustainable, high-quality and green development in its economic transformation.

The annual BFA continues its commitment to carbon-neutral operations this year, implementing cutting-edge decarbonization strategies across key sectors, including achieving 100% renewable energy power on Dongyu Island, leveraging solar, wind, and hydro energy to eliminate fossil fuel reliance.

Eco-friendly, recyclable materials also take center stage in constructing pavilions and facilities, minimizing waste while maintaining functional elegance. Even the menus prioritize locally sourced produce and carbon-certified products, including "zero-carbon coffee," "carbon-labeled tea," and "carbon-footprint mangoes.”

These practices have not only positioning the BFA as a global trailblazer for sustainable event management, but also provided a perfect “China answer” to the development of the green economy in Asia and beyond.

Executive Editor: Sonia YU

Editor: LI Yanxia

Host: Stephanie LI

Correspondents: Harry Wu, Sharon Hu

Sound Editor: Stephanie LI

Graphic Designer: ZHENG Wenjing, LIAO Yuanni

Produced by 21st Century Business Herald Dept. of Overseas News.

Presented by SFC

更多内容请下载21财经APP