Successful Holding of the Sino–Swedish Sustainable Low-Carbon Value Chain Forum and the 3rd International Action Initiative of Life Cycle Thinking Conference

16 December 2025 | General

The Sino–Swedish Sustainable Low-Carbon Value Chain Forum and the 3rd International Action Initiative of Life Cycle Thinking Conference, held in Beijing on 8 December 2025, brought together high-level representatives from China and Sweden. Focusing on life cycle thinking, the event marked a key milestone in China–Sweden green cooperation, and underscored the growing role of credible environmental data in supporting low-carbon trade and sustainable development.

On 8 December 2025, the Sino–Swedish Sustainable Low-Carbon Value Chain Forum and the 3rd International Action Initiative of Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) Conference was successfully held in Beijing. The event was jointly hosted by the Embassy of Sweden in China and IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, and sponsored by the International EPD System (IES). It marked an important milestone in the celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Sweden.

The conference focused on the latest developments in enhancing transparency, standardisation, and decarbonisation of global value chains through life cycle approaches. It brought together representatives from government agencies, international organisations, research institutions, industry associations, and leading enterprises from both China and Sweden, fostering in-depth dialogue and exchange.

The opening session featured remarks by Dai Gang, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation at China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, and Daniel Ekström, Counsellor for Science and Innovation at the Embassy of Sweden in China. Both speakers highlighted that green technologies, environmental data, and value-chain emission reduction are emerging as key pillars of international cooperation.

In his address, Per Augustsson, Ambassador of Sweden to China and Mongolia, underscored Sweden’s long-standing leadership in the circular economy and climate governance. Citing examples such as Sweden’s recovery of 99% of household waste and a reduction in national greenhouse gas emissions by more than half compared to the 1970s, he emphasised the importance of long-term policy consistency and broad public participation. Ambassador Augustsson further highlighted the complementary strengths of China and Sweden in global supply chains and in the establishment of robust environmental data systems. He noted that Sweden is prepared to enhance cooperation with China across life cycle assessment, renewable energy, circular economy, low-carbon industrial transformation, and green tools, with the aim of delivering forward-looking bilateral contributions to global climate action and sustainable value-chain development.

International EPD System CEO Highlights “EPDs as Gateways to Global Trade”

In the keynote speech titled “EPDs as Gateways to Global Trade,” Sebastiaan Stiller, CEO of the IES, noted that Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are rapidly transitioning from voluntary disclosure tools into essential infrastructure for global supply chains. This shift is driven by evolving international regulations and the ongoing low-carbon transformation of global trade systems. Built on international standards such as ISO 14025 and EN 15804, EPDs play a critical role in enhancing supply-chain transparency, supporting fair trade, and strengthening global competitiveness.

Sebestiaan further emphasised that EPDs have become a key foundation for Chinese enterprises to demonstrate credible environmental performance and to comply with international regulatory frameworks, including mechanisms such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).

He also highlighted the rapid growth of EPD development in China under the IES, with notable expansion across strategic sectors such as steel, non-ferrous metals, automotive, and electronics. Reaffirming the commitment of IES to long-term engagement in China, Sebastiaan stated that the organisation will continue to strengthen cooperation with Chinese government agencies, research institutions, industry associations, and enterprises.

Through methodological harmonisation, the integration of digitalisation tools, and enhanced local capacity building, IES aims to support Chinese companies in accessing global markets with high-quality environmental data, and to advance a more transparent and credible global sustainable value-chain system.