On September 4, the 2026 (2nd) Nonferrous Metals Industry Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality Conference was held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Hosted by the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association, the conference focused on key topics including energy conservation, carbon reduction and quality improvement in the nonferrous metals industry, as well as the development of a dual-control system for carbon emissions. Experts, leading enterprises and research institutions from across the country gathered to explore pathways for the green and low-carbon transformation of the nonferrous metals industry and how these can advance the implementation of China’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality strategies.

Academician Nie Zuoren of the College of Materials Science and Engineering of BJUT was invited to attend the conference and  he delivered a keynote report titled “Low-Carbon Engineering Technologies and Standards Strategies for the Life Cycle of Nonferrous Metallurgical Materials.” In his report, Prof. Nie provided a systematic assessment of the current development and evolving trends of low-carbon technologies for nonferrous metallurgy in China and abroad. From the perspective of advances in materials science, he focused on key areas including the research and development of innovative low-carbon technologies, the establishment of industry standards, and scientific planning for industrial strategies. He outlined a systematic decarbonization framework covering the entire process and value chain of nonferrous metallurgy and proposed new, scientific and practical approaches and pathways for the industry’s low-carbon development.

The research presented in the report was conducted with the support of the State Key Laboratory of Materials Low-Carbon Recycling. Established under the leadership of BJUT, in collaboration with several leading organizations in the industry, the laboratory is a national-level research platform focusing on resource recycling and carbon neutrality in megacities. Its research centers on original innovations in low-carbon materials recycling and regeneration, the development of key and core technologies, and the establishment of industrial standards. The laboratory serves as a major innovation platform through which BJUT contributes to China’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality strategies and supports the green development of advanced materials.