Towards Greener and More Resilient Supply Chains in China

Global supply chains are undergoing ongoing restructuring. This shift is driven by rising geopolitical tensions, the spread of protectionist policies, and the urgent need for green transformation. As the largest importer of agricultural and wood products, China has become a crucial decision maker on how commodity markets can become more sustainable. 

Under its new Five Year Plan, China is aiming for high-quality development, technological self-reliance, green transformation, and economic resilience while maintaining global engagement. It plays a pivotal role in the global trade and supply chain system, and within that it’s focussed on strengthening the green and low‑carbon capabilities of its foreign trade enterprises. These efforts support the achievement of the country’s “dual carbon” goal: peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.  

With these ambitions the question of how to practically implement sustainable sourcing and green procurement in partnership with production countries is now as important for China than it has been for other major market-shapers like the EU. In this context, Proforest convened an expert meeting in Beijing - Building Responsible and Resilient Supply Chains - on March 12. It provided an overview of progress on the sustainable trade of key soft commodities in China, brought together experts to facilitate in-depth exchanges on the past achievements and future priorities of responsible and resilient supply chains of agricultural and forestry products. The workshop participants were from government, industry, NGOs, academia, and international organisations. 

Proforest Executive Directors Ruth Nussbaum and Abraham Baffoe also presented Proforest’s global work including the BRIDGE programme . The programme will work across producer countries – Ghana, Cameroon, Liberia and Indonesia – and demand-side markets including the UK, Europe and China. A central focus of BRIDGE is bringing together governments and companies to build practical, nationally led pathways for action. 

Participants held in-depth discussions on how to enhance collaboration and explore cooperation pathways. They proposed conducting in-depth cooperation at multiple levels through strengthening international supply chain cooperation, advancing technological development and upgrading, and fully leveraging incentive measures such as regulation and financial support. 

Going forward, Proforest will continuously expand its partnership network and deepen cooperation engagement. As a trusted technical partner, Proforest will support China’s green trade development policies and work together to build globally responsible and resilient supply chains. 

For more information contact Jian Wan in Proforest’s Beijing office.