Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
Good morning!
 
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to the 2024 Hydrogen Industry Innovation and Development Conference, here in the beautiful city of Rugao.
 
Let me begin by extending my sincere appreciation to the host and organizers of today’s conference, the China Society of Automotive Engineers, the International Automotive Engineering Science and Technology Innovation Strategic Research Institute, and all our partners for making this important event possible.
 
I would also like to thank the esteemed speakers and participants for sharing their expertise and insights, which will undoubtedly enrich our dialogue today.
 
As we gather here today, allow me to share some of my views and perspectives on the current state of the world might set a context and backdrop of our discussions here.
 
The urgency of the climate crisis cannot be overstated. Global CO2 levels are at record highs,[1] along with global temperatures.
 
And every half a degree Celsius rise globally makes heatwaves, floods and droughts more frequent, and more dangerous[2]. 
 
As such, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — the global roadmap to protecting our planet, and its most vulnerable people, by 2030 —hang by a thread.
 
Based on current progress, the Asia-Pacific region will take until 2062 to achieve the SDGs – more than three decades too late[3].
 
This highlights the need for accelerated action on all fronts, especially in the adoption of green and clean energy solutions such as hydrogen.
 
The Hydrogen Council in its report last month noted that while the industry has seen an extraordinary seven-fold increase in hydrogen capacity reaching final investment decision globally over the past four years, the pace and scale of deployment has not been sufficient to remain on track with climate commitments.
 
To accelerate the global energy system decarbonisation, an 8-fold increase of investments in hydrogen is required until 2030, compared to the current investments.
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
 
Amid this challenging context, I also see glimmers of opportunity and pragmatic steps forward.
 
I was recently reading the World Economic Forum’s analysis of the growth of the hydrogen economy in Latin America. It was noted that the region has the potential to become a global leader in clean hydrogen and are pursuing diverse strategies, reflecting their strengthens and priorities.
 
Brazil, Colombia and Mexico will be prioritizing hydrogen as a key approach to decarbonize domestic economies, with exports as a longer-term goal.
 
With an eye on the export market, Argentina and Chile are aiming to become globally competitive players, focusing on international markets and developing trade infrastructure and certification schemes.
 
Some countries such as Panama and Uruguay are embarking upon on targeted sectors such as shipping or particular industrial sectors.
 
The world is on the move and fast. We have also seen active growth, research and development and roadmaps being developed across  Europe, Africa and in the Asia-Pacific region.
 
This year we have witnessed an increased number of cross-government and private sector strategic collaborations taking place in selected countries across Asia and with a focus on heavy transport in the short term, and the power sector and heavy industries for example steel, in the mid-long term.
 
Across the globe, what is clear that there is a strong synergy and impetus for governments, industry, academia and international organizations to work closer together.
 
Two specific issues are critical - the first  are the international standards and certifications notably on technical, safety and carbon intensity standards.
 
Technical standards for the entire hydrogen value chain from production to end-use and industrial safety standards are critical and this must be grounded by the much needed workforce training systems.