Li Junfeng received the Zayed Future Energy Prize Lifetime Achievement Award this year in recognition of his efforts to make China a recognized leader in clean energy. (Photo : YouTube Screenshot)
Li Junfeng, a renowned advocate of clean energy in China, took home this year's Zayed Future Energy Prize Lifetime Achievement Award. His efforts in promoting renewable power sources propelled China at the helm of global efforts to develop and adopt clean energy.
A panel composed of key government figures from Saudi Arabia and the UAE presided over Li's receipt of the award, which took place during the opening ceremonies of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2017. The award serves as a recognition of Li's determination to push China toward embracing clean energy.
The award, which comes with a $50,000 cash prize as per CCTV's report, merits Li's role in improving awareness toward environmental concerns in China. His promotion of green technology, which spans more than three decades of work, facilitated the country's emancipation as a clean energy advocate.
The Renewable Energy Law, which shaped China's rise in using and developing renewable power sources upon its passage in 2005, serves as Li's landmark contributions. The country's move to support the Paris Climate Agreement also benefited from his spearheading efforts, the Global Times reported.
Li considers his commitment to promoting clean energy as a continuous venture, as he plans to contribute globally as China takes centerstage in green technology. Among his merits include his senior research fellowship at the National Development and Reform Commission's Energy Research Institute in 1982.
A two-year stint at the World Bank as an economist in 1992 enabled Li to have ample international exposure in the field of clean energy. He then returned to the National Development and Reform Commission in 1994, eventually taking the helm as Director-General.
The award, which also recognizes the efforts of small and medium enterprises, large corporations, global high schools, and non-profit organizations, acknowledges efforts on new technologies that facilitate renewable power sources, specifically about moving away from coal power.
Watch the audio-visual presentation from Zayed Future Energy Prize featuring Li below:
