GoldenKey spotlights frontier SDG solutions for a future-ready power sector
80 solutions recognized across climate action, rural vitalization, innovative transformation, and global responsibility
The inaugural GoldenKey · Power Sector Special Award Ceremony took center stage at the 2026 Annual Exchange Conference on Social Responsibility and ESG of Power Enterprises in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province during April 16–17, 2026. Hosted by the China Electricity Council (CEC) and co-organized by State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Co., Ltd. and CSG Energy Development Research Institute Co., Ltd., the event underscored the growing role of China’s power sector in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As the global energy transition accelerates, China’s power sector faces mounting challenges— from meeting carbon neutrality targets to accelerating the build-out of a new-type power system. In response, the GoldenKey · Power Sector Special was launched in March 2025 to identify and scale actionable, innovative solutions that tackle these pressing issues while contributing to global sustainability.
At the award ceremony, 80 solutions were presented across four key categories: Climate Action, Rural Vitalization, Innovative Transformation, and Global Responsibility. The following selected examples shared their solutions at the event:
1. The Evolution of EV Charging Stations: A Smart Revolution for Every Kilowatt-Hour (State Grid Ningbo Power Supply Company)
2. Turning Green into Gold: Unlocking New Value from Dormant Carbon Assets (State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company)
3. Aggregating Energy with Smart Grids (Shenzhen Power Supply Co.,Ltd)
4. Golden Sun: A Model for Rural Energy Industry Development (Huadian Xinjiang Power Generation Co., Ltd.)
5. From Pilot to Mainstream: The Towngas Practice of Zero-Carbon Smart Industrial Parks (Towngas Energy Investment Co., Ltd.)
Professor June Qian, GoldenKey Chief Coach, Professor of School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, provided expert commentary on the outcomes of GoldenKey · Power Sector Special. “The achievements demonstrate that China’s power enterprises aim not to threaten, but to contribute to global development. Their active pursuit of sustainability solutions — tackling low-carbon transition, inclusion, and equality — provides compelling evidence against the so-called ‘China threat’ narrative. These solutions benefit not only China, but the world.”
The Power Sector Special follows the rigorous AMIVE criteria and process, ensuring that recognized solutions are both impactful and replicable. It reflects a broader commitment by China’s power sector to move beyond compliance and toward genuine leadership in corporate responsibility and ESG integration.
AMIVE criteria
Hao Yingjie, Deputy Party Secretary and Secretary-General of CEC, addressed the event, noting that “the current stage of energy and power development brings new challenges, including achieving carbon peaking and neutrality goals and accelerating the development of a new-type power system.” He called on power enterprises to strengthen their sense of mission, deepen the integration of responsibility concepts, enhance standard-setting, and build a collective brand ecosystem for industry responsibility.
Nearly 300 representatives from CEC member organizations attended the event, underscoring the growing momentum behind responsible business practices in China’s power sector.