From June 12 to 14, 2026, the 2026 International Conference on Climate and Energy Finance (ICEF 2026) was successfully held in Xi’an, China. The conference was jointly organized by the Energy Finance Committee of the International Society for Energy Transition and the Climate Finance Research Branch of the China Society for Optimization, Overall Planning and Economic Mathematics, hosted by Xidian University, and co-organized by the School of Economics and Management, Xidian University, and the Institute of Carbon Neutrality and Climate Finance, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics.
With the theme “Innovation and Adaptation in the Climate Crisis”, the conference brought together more than 300 scholars and experts from over 100 leading universities and research institutions worldwide, including New York University (USA), Western University (Canada), the University of New South Wales, the University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Macau University of Science and Technology, the Institutes of Science and Development of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Beihang University, Shandong University, Sun Yat-sen University, Central South University, and Hunan University. Participants exchanged ideas on emerging trends, frontier topics, and recent advances in climate and energy finance under the global carbon neutrality agenda.
The opening ceremony was addressed by Liu Hongwei, Vice President of Xidian University, and Guan Zhongcheng, President of the China Society for Optimization, Overall Planning and Economic Mathematics. Zhang Dayong, Chair of the Climate Finance Research Branch, together with Vice Chairs Ji Qiang, Wang Qunwei, and Wang Yudong, attended the ceremony. The event was chaired by Chai Jian, Executive Dean of the School of Economics and Management at Xidian University.
Nobel Laureate in Economics Professor Robert F. Engle of New York University presented his latest research on hedging portfolios against climate physical and transition risks, highlighting the profound impact of climate risks on financial markets.
Professor Geoffrey Wood of Western University (Canada) compared the development of the new energy industry across China, the United States, and Europe under different economic development models. He also emphasized the growing energy consumption associated with the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence technologies.
Chai Qimin, Director of the Department of Strategic Planning at China’s National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, provided a comprehensive interpretation of China’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the implementation pathway toward the country’s “Dual Carbon” goals, the evolving climate policy framework, and the national energy transition strategy. He called for strengthened international cooperation to jointly address global climate challenges.
Finally, Professor Kui-shuang Feng of the University of Hong Kong discussed issues of equity in the low-carbon transition. He argued that a well-designed carbon tax system, combined with effective income redistribution mechanisms, can simultaneously achieve climate governance objectives and promote social equity.
The conference featured 48 parallel sessions, covering a broad range of topics, including climate risk management, carbon market pricing, green finance, artificial intelligence and digital transformation, environmental, social and governance (ESG), digitalization and green management, climate risk and adaptation, just transition, and critical mineral supply chains.
By providing a high-level international platform for academic exchange in climate and energy finance, ICEF 2026 fostered interdisciplinary dialogue and international collaboration. The conference outcomes are expected to contribute valuable insights into global climate transition and resilience while supporting China’s goals under the forthcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, particularly in balancing green energy transformation with industrial and supply chain security, thereby advancing sustainable low-carbon development both in China and globally.
At the closing ceremony, Ma Feng, Associate Dean of the School of Economics and Management at Southwest Jiaotong University, introduced the university’s campus development and academic strengths on behalf of the host institution for ICEF 2027.
The conference concluded successfully with an invitation to scholars worldwide to gather in Chengdu next year for the tenth anniversary of the ICEF conference series. This milestone will not only celebrate a decade of promoting international academic exchange and advancing research in climate and energy finance, but also mark the beginning of a new chapter of global collaboration.