At present, it has become a global consensus to address climate change and promote green, low-carbon and sustainable development. China's machinery and electronic foreign economic and trade industry has made excellent achievements in green, low-carbon and sustainable development. In order to summarize the experience of the industry, CCCME collected green development cases from its member enterprises, and together with Deloitte China, prepared the Report on Sustainable Development of China's Machinery and Electronic Foreign Economic and Trade and Collection of Cases on Green Development of CCCME Members.

 

The report analyzes the significance of the sustainable development of the machinery and electronicforeign economic and trade industry, and summarizes the excellent enterprise cases in five aspects: Contribution to International Cooperation for Sustainable Development, Innovation in Green Products and Services, Green and Low-carbon Transition of Enterprises, Building Responsible Supply Chains, and Fulfillment of Social Responsibilities. In this article, we will share the cases of member enterprises' fulfillment of social responsibilities.

 

 

China actively promotes enterprises to fulfill social responsibility. As early as 2006, Chinese regulatory agencies, such as government departments and stock exchanges, recognized the importance of cultivating corporate social responsibility awareness. They issued relevant policies to encourage enterprises to undertake corporate social responsibility initiatives and disclose corporate social responsibility information. In 2006, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange issued the Guidelines on Social Responsibility of Listed Companies, encouraging listed companies to disclose corporate social responsibility reports. In 2008, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) of the State Council released the Guideline on Central Enterprises Fulfilling Social Responsibilities, requiring eligible central enterprises to regularly publish corporate social responsibility reports or sustainable development reports. That same year, the Shanghai Stock Exchange issued the Shanghai Stock Exchange Listed Company Environmental Information Disclosure Guidelines, emphasizing that listed companies should pay full attention to the common interests of shareholders, creditors, customers, consumers, suppliers, employees, and communities. It also encouraged listed companies to disclose corporate social responsibility reports. In the industrial sector, the China Federation of Industrial Economics, in collaboration with ten national industrial associations (federations), including China National Coal Association, China Machinery Industry Federation, China Iron & Steel Association, China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, China National Light Industry Council, China National Textile And Apparel Council, China Building Materials Federation, China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, China Electricity Council, and China Mining Association, jointly released the Social Responsibility Guidelines for Chinese Industrial Enterprises and Industrial Associations. These guidelines outline the social responsibilities that Chinese industrial enterprises should fulfill, providing a pioneering set of guidelines for industrial associations to fulfill social responsibilities. As stakeholder demands for corporate social responsibility information increased, regulators' management principles gradually evolved from encouragement to mandatory disclosure. In 2016, SASAC issued the Guiding Opinions on State-Owned Enterprises Better Fulfilling Social Responsibilities, stating that state-owned enterprises should stay committed to taking sustainable development as the core strategy, the combination of social responsibility and enterprise reform and development, and the integration of social responsibility with business operations. In March 2022, to effectively promote the scientific and technological innovation and social responsibility of central enterprises, SASAC established the Social Responsibility Bureau. It also released the Work Plan for Improving the Quality of Listed Companies Held by Central Enterprises, aiming to encourage more listed companies held by central government-owned enterprises to disclose ESG special reports, and striving for full coverage by 2023.

 

In response to national requirements, companies in the machinery and electronic industry actively fulfill social responsibilities, leveraging their industry influence to support local education, public health, and community charity during foreign trade processes. This contributes to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and demonstrates the corporate commitment to making a positive impact.

 

 

WeRide: Empowering the Fight Against COVID-19 and Educational Public Welfare with the Power of Science and Technology

WeRide, a global leading Level 4 autonomous driving technology company, actively shoulders social responsibility, organizes and participates in various public welfare activities, and empowers the sustainable development of the company and society with the power of science and technology.

 

Under the organization and leadership of the Guangzhou Municipal Government, WeRide participated in the fight against COVID-19 for 20 consecutive days from June 4 to June 23, 2021, transporting anti-epidemic supplies via self-driving minibuses and taxis to the lockdown area of Liwan District in Guangzhou. WeRide was the only autonomous driving company that completed all operations without anyone entering the lockdown area. The autonomous vehicles of WeRide were dispatched over 500 times, transferring over 20,000 supplies weighing over 100 tons in total. Amid the COVID-19 challenge, WeRide used self-driving technology to ensure the transportation of items of goods within the lockdown zone, reducing the risk of infection among personnel involved in transportation, alleviating the workload of medical staff, and providing strong support for the fight against COVID-19.

 

Photo: WeRide transports anti-epidemic supplies to the lockdown area using self-driving minibuses

 

As a representative of high-tech enterprises in autonomous driving, WeRide participated in the 2022 Guangzhou Science and Technology Week Campus Education Achievement Exchange Exhibition on May 13, 2022. Engineers from WeRide presented two major products autonomous taxis and self-driving minibuses at Guangzhou No.2 Middle School, a century-old prestigious school, to provide over a thousand junior and senior high school students with an up-close experience of autonomous driving technology. In August 2023, WeRide invited the Fanhua Foundation to introduce the technology behind autonomous vehicles to a group of children from Daliangshan, sharing experiences on pursuing life goals, unveiling the mystery of autonomous driving, and encouraging them to boldly explore their infinite possibilities. Through partnerships with campuses and public welfare institutions, WeRide has introduced cutting-edge science and technology into schools, stimulating the interest of young people in technology, establishing the essential groundwork for developing future technology talents, and demonstrating corporate social responsibility and philanthropic values.

 

 

CAMCE: Facilitating Water Resource Management and Drinking Water Supply in Bangladesh

China CAMCE Engineering Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "CAMCE") contracted to build the Padma Water Plant project in Bangladesh under BRI, solving the severe challenge of lacking water treatment facilities in the country by constructing water intake pump station, watertreatment plant, booster pump station, and water transmission pipelines. The main goal of the Padma Water Plant project in Bangladesh was to improve the quality of water sources in the capital Dhaka, prevent groundwater depletion, and provide safe drinking water to residents. The implementation of this project contributed to promoting Bangladesh's achievement of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6) while demonstrating CAMCE's commitment to actively fulfilling its social responsibility.

 

Photo: Panoramic View of CAMCE Padma Water Treatment Plant in Bangladesh

 

During the project executionperiod, CAMCE actively took on the social responsibility of protecting the environment, implementing a series of effective environmental protection measures. For effluent discharge, CAMCE conducted classifications to process and collect construction wastewater and domestic sewage, ensuring the discharge up to the standard. For solid waste, CAMCE promptly classified and removed construction waste from the site, performed ecological treatment before final disposal. At the same time, to control noise pollution, CAMCE implemented rigorous noise reduction and prevention measures, isolating construction machinery noise sources from the surrounding environment to minimize the impact of construction noise on surrounding residents. In addition, CAMCE promptly conducted the ecological restoration of vegetation along the pipeline alignment, ensuring effective restoration of the environmental conditions pre- and post-construction.

 

Photo: Aerial View of the CAMCE Water Purification Plant of Padma Water Plant project in Bangladesh

 

CAMCE actively applied technological innovation in the Padma Water Plant project by utilizing variable frequency speed regulation technology for the pumps and adopting production wastewater recycling technology, significantly improving water resource utilization efficiency. Meanwhile, the project also implemented the sponge city concept for external drainage design, successfully reducing the amount of earthwork for initial construction and the vast number of pipes used in traditional drainage networks. These innovative designs saved on engineering investment and solved the drainage problem during rainy seasons, positively contributing to sustainable development.

 

The completion of the Padma Water Plant project significantly improved the quality of drinking water for local residents, benefiting approximately 3 million people. Moreover, the project effectively mitigated geological hazards arising from excessive groundwater extraction, employed engineering methods to achieve water safety, and enhanced sanitation conditions, all of which have played an imperative function in stimulating local economic development and safeguarding the ecological environment. In December 2020, the CAMCE Padma Water Plant project in Bangladesh was listed in the BRI Green Development Case Study Report (2020) issued by the BRI International Green Development Coalition, demonstrating CAMCE's commitment to environmental protection, people's livelihood and sustainable development, providing valuable insights and models for other enterprises.

 

Photo: Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attending the project completion ceremony

 

 

POWERCHINA: Carrying Out Overseas Public Welfare Actions to Facilitate Local Development

As the primary force in the construction of the BRI, POWERCHINA established POWERCHINA Overseas Volunteer Association(POVA) to actively fulfill its overseas social responsibilities by promoting employees' overseas voluntary service. With the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) as the benchmark and by combining the enterprise's proficiency and community requirements, POVA developed and designed three brand projects named "Technology for Life", "Green for the Future" and "Love for the World" which targets the areas of the economy, environment, and society.

 

The "Technology for Life" project aims to leverage POWERCHINA's global technological leadership and industrial chain integration advantages to benefit local development through advanced technology. In C?te d'Ivoire, POWERCHINA and the Confucius Institute at the Université Félix Houphou?t-Boigny (UFHB) have collaborated to arrange experts as volunteers to provide engineering and technical training for local youth, improving local employment and talent skills.

 

Photo: POWERCHINA Volunteers in C?te d'Ivoire engage in technical exchanges with teachers and students at the Confucius Institute of UFHB

The "Green for the Future" project aims to leverage POWERCHINA's expertise in clean energy utilization and development, align with international standards, and widely carry out ecological and environmental protection actions. For example, in Panama, overseas volunteers actively participate in the National Beach Clean-Up Day every year by gathering litter on the beach with other participants. Each time, they clean up nearly a thousand bags of ocean litter, effectively maintaining the ecological environment. In Indonesia, volunteers from the JATIGEDE Dam Project Department of POWERCHINA and local villagers released numerous fish fry into the reservoir area after the reservoir was filled, ensuring species reproduction and cultivating fishing grounds. The fishing activity is expected to generate more revenue for nearby villagers.

 

Photo: POWERCHINA Volunteers participating in the 27th National Beach Clean-up Day in Panama, and the releasing fish fry event of the JATIGEDE Dam Project Department of POWERCHINA 

 

The "Love for the World" project aims to participate in local public governance, provide care services to communities or public welfare institutions, foster strong and stable relationships with local public institutions, communities, and various aspects of society, and become a trustworthy and sincere partner. Volunteers in the regional headquarters in Central and West Africa regularly visit orphanages and social service centers to carry out "Big Hands Holding Small Hands" activities. They accompany orphans, donate supplies, and provide inspirational counselling. POWERCHINA Indonesia volunteers launched a campaign to offer care for premature infants, established a charity fund for premature infants, and donated USD 50,000 to Indonesian universities to fund the R&D and manufacturing of premature infant incubators, benefiting thousands of families.

 

Photo: POWERCHINA Volunteers conducting a "Big Hands Holding Small Hands" activity at Darlez Care Orphanage Home in Garki District, Abuja, Nigeria, and POWERCHINA volunteers caring for premature infants in Indonesia

 

The "POWERCHINA Overseas Volunteer Service" was featured in the "Research Report on Overseas Social Responsibility of Central Enterprises (2017)" and the "China Corporate Social Responsibility Yearbook (2017)", and was recognized as the "best practice case" for corporate social responsibility performance evaluation by the China International Contractors Association. As of the end of 2022, POWERCHINA has established 35 volunteer service teams in 22 countries worldwide, organized 2,030 volunteers, and provided 10,073 services. The cumulative volunteer service time exceeded 70,000 hours, and the cumulative service contribution reached USD 934,000, with supporting donations of USD 1.59 million, benefiting more than 700,000 people.

 

 

POWERCHINA: Donating Photovoltaic Products to Overseas Countries to Improve Power Shortage with Clean Energy

POWERCHINA actively responds to President Xi's call, taking "100 Enterprises and 1,000 Villages" as the main theme, combining it with its expertise in new energy, and incorporating the slogan "Love for the World". Since 2022, it has carried out a series of photovoltaic product-themed donation activities in Angola, Nigeria, and Afghanistan. This initiative aims to support the development of local communities and improve people's livelihoods, address the impacts of climate change, promote the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and jointly foster a community with a shared future for humankind.

 

In Angola, POWERCHINA took the construction of the anti-drought project in Cunene Province as an opportunity to launch a donation activity for street lights and photovoltaic power stations in Cuvelai City. The initiative was named "Lighting Up Africa for the Future" and effectively solved the problem of poor lighting on some roads and schools in Cuvelai. In Lauteye Village, Bunkure Town, Kano State, Nigeria, POWERCHINA conducted a grand donation of solar lights for "A Hundred Companies in a Thousand Villages", resolving the century-old problem of nighttime lighting faced by local residents. In Afghanistan, taking into account the abundant natural light resources, POWERCHINA has donated small photovoltaic power plants to Afghan public service institutions, solving the power shortages that previously caused constant interruptions in public services in the institutions.

 

Photo: Donation of solar lights to Lauteye Village, Bunkure Town, Kano State, Nigeria by POWERCHINA

 

In some remote areas of developing countries, limited accessibility to electricity poses a significant obstacle to the countries' modernization and industrialization process due to the inadequacy of their primary power source and grid network. However, the local people are increasingly demanding electricity. POWERCHINA's donation of new energy products promoted clean energy products, alleviated power shortages, and practiced the concept of sustainable development.

 

Through donation activities in Angola, Nigeria, and Afghanistan, POWERCHINA provided practical electricity assistance to the local population, demonstrating the responsibility and strength of Chinese enterprises in new energy technology. These activities further strengthened the partnership, friendship, and cooperation between POWERCHINA and these countries.