First Academic Symposium on Chinese Enterprises’ ESG and Sustainable Development Held at Capital University of Economics and Business
The First Academic Symposium on Chinese Enterprises’ ESG and Sustainable Development was recently held at the Capital University of Economics and Business. The conference, themed “Synergistic Digital and Green Transformation in the Context of Sustainable Development,” brought together more than 150 experts, scholars, and graduate students from Renmin University of China, University of International Business and Economics, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Xiamen University, Wuhan University, and dozens of other higher education and research institutions.
The event focused on cutting-edge ESG theories and practical pathways for Chinese enterprises, with in-depth discussions on how the synergistic integration of digitalization and greening can enable high-quality, sustainable development. During the opening session, Bai Jingwei, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Management World, stated that accelerating the synergistic transformation of digitalization and greening constitutes critical support for seizing the commanding heights of the new round of technological revolution and fostering new quality productive forces. He affirmed that Management World, as an academic journal serving national strategic needs, will continue to prioritize and advance research in this domain. Yin Zhichao, Member of the Party Committee and Vice President of Capital University of Economics and Business, noted that the ESG framework is becoming a key driver for the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development and for cultivating new growth drivers, and that constructing a China-specific ESG system and achieving genuine synergy between digital and green transformation represent pressing research challenges. Yi Jingtao, Dean of the Business School of Renmin University of China, emphasized that the discipline of business administration must proactively shoulder its mission to explore transformation pathways with Chinese characteristics and a localized ESG theoretical system, thereby enhancing the international discourse power of Chinese management scholarship and contributing Chinese wisdom to global sustainable development.
In the keynote session, several prominent scholars presented their latest research findings. Professor Zeng Xiaoliang from Southern University of Science and Technology traced the academic evolution of ESG information disclosure, introduced innovative concepts such as “financial framing,” and analyzed the strategic mechanisms through which enterprises link social responsibility with financial returns. Professor Wang Zhaohua, Dean of the School of Economics and Management at Beijing Institute of Technology, demonstrated the application of multimodal big data in driving low-carbon transformation in energy and construction sectors. Associate Professor Jordan Neyland from Bentley University’s Department of Finance examined, from legal and institutional perspectives, the multifaceted objective conflicts and fiduciary duty challenges underlying ESG investment. Professor Bingxuan Lin from the University of Rhode Island advocated shifting ESG from a passive compliance orientation to an active value-creation approach, stressing the need to deeply embed ESG factors into corporate strategy and innovation processes. Professor Zhu Jigao, Associate Dean of the International Business School at University of International Business and Economics, presented empirical evidence showing that China’s Ministry of Commerce “double random, one public” regulatory model significantly improves the overseas ESG performance of inspected multinational enterprises, with particularly pronounced effects in host countries with weaker institutional environments, thereby providing distinctive “Chinese evidence” for global sustainable development governance.
The symposium received 244 paper submissions. Following rigorous peer review, 48 high-quality papers were selected for presentation across seven parallel sessions. Topics covered climate policy and risk management, ESG information disclosure and assurance, green technological innovation, supply-chain collaboration, corporate governance, digital empowerment, and market reactions. Discussions were lively and academically rigorous, and outstanding papers were awarded in each session.
Participants unanimously agreed that, as China’s ESG ecosystem continues to mature, it will play an increasingly important role in optimizing resource allocation, stimulating technological innovation, and promoting the deep integration of the digital and real economies. The conference served as a significant platform for strengthening collaboration among academia, policymaking, and industry, and for accelerating the translation of research outcomes into policy and practice, thereby contributing further intellectual support to the steady advancement of Chinese-style modernization.
