SHANGHAI, Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On 7 September 2022, the British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai held its second Sustainability and ESG Business Summit, themed "New Horizons: The Era of ESG" in Shanghai. The University of Manchester China Centre was invited to be the academic supporter at the summit for the second time.

Managing Director of China Centre, the University of Manchester, Ms. Sherry Fu attended the Summit and delivered a keynote speech "Net Zero Energy Future: Global Challenges, Manchester Solutions". 

Fu said in her keynote: "The University of Manchester is a world-leading research institution. It is the first UK university to have social responsibility as its strategic core goal. We were ranked No. 1 in the world last year and 9th this year, by the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings."

"At Manchester, we believe that universities exist for public benefit." Fu shared some examples that the University undertaken against United Nations' 17 SDGs. "We've contributed over 21,000 research publications across all 17 SDGs in the past 5 years – representing 4% of the UK's research on the goals. And we are also committed to be a zero-carbon university by 2038. We're a living wage accredited employer, a top-ranking institution for LGBT+ inclusivity, and we also hold quality marks for gender, disability and racial equality."

Fu addressed that energy is one of the five research beacons for the University of Manchester and the University has more than 600 academics addressing sustainable energy challenges. She emphasized: "The breadth of expertise at Manchester means we can push research boundaries and shape energy innovation. We are exploring alternative energy strategies and pioneering work in emerging renewable technologies and bridging fuels."

"Global challenges, Manchester solutions. As the top ten in the world for sustainable development, our research has a real-world impact. Our commitment to social responsibility drives us to improve lives across the planet." Speaking on the scale of the energy projects, Fu said: "We have more than £80 million of ongoing energy projects, covering the entire energy journey – from generation and storage through to systems and use. With such scale and scope, there is a wide range of opportunities to work together with partners and collaborators across varied disciplines to help deliver a brighter and more sustainable world for future generations."