LocationsOpening Remarks by Mr. James George at Re:Think 2026 Innovation Week
May 19, 2026
James George, UNDP China Resident Representative a.i. Delivering His Opening Remarks at Re:Think 2026
Distinguished Director Zhao Wenqiao, Secretary-General Lee Hee-sup
Distinguished guests, partners, and friends,
Good morning!
On behalf of the United Nations Development Programme in China, it’s a pleasure to welcome you all to Re:Think Innovation Week 2026!
First and foremost, I want to express my deep appreciation to the Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone, and the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges, as well as all partners who have made this flagship initiative possible for the past six years.
Now in its 7th iteration since launching in 2020, Re:Think has grown into a leading global forum convening stakeholders including government, businesses, and the public to explore new pathways towards sustainable development.
Over the years, Re:Think has covered key trends and topics in the development and innovation landscape, from designing resilient cities and accelerating the green transition, to showcasing new technologies and supporting creative industries.
As we gather today for this year’s event, let us first recognize the current development landscape: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – our shared global blueprint to safeguard people and planet by 2030 – are in serious jeopardy.
From climate change and biodiversity loss to growing inequalities and energy shortages, more than one-third of the SDG targets are either stalled or regressing.
These are not isolated challenges. They are interconnected crises that transcend borders.
As such, the actions of all stakeholders and the impact they have on development must be seen in a global context.
This includes local businesses and SMEs whose contributions – making up over 50% of global GDP – are essential to advancing our shared sustainable development progress.
Indeed, the ability for businesses to grow and be competitive around the world in this day and age, is no longer driven by cost or scale alone, but increasingly by trust, transparency, and sustainability.
Across industries, global markets are placing greater emphasis on ESG performance, supply chain due diligence, and verifiable standards.
Consumers are demanding more responsible products, and international partners and investors are looking for reliability, accountability, and long-term value.
What’s clear is that sustainability is not a constraint, nor simply a matter of compliance. It is becoming a core capability, and indeed a strategic necessity, for participating in the global economy.
Here in China, this has strong alignment with national development priorities outlined in the 15th Five-Year Plan, which has indicated that high-quality development will require the integration of green and sustainable production practices into industrial, agricultural, and energy sectors.
In this context, at UNDP we are happy to see that there has been strong interest, including here in Chengdu, in expanding access to opportunities such as the UN sustainable procurement market.
"What's clear is that sustainability is not a constraint, nor simply a matter of compliance. It is becoming a core capability, and indeed a strategic necessity, for participating in the global economy."
It is important, however, to recognize that this should not be an end goal in and of itself, but rather an entry point to a broader transformation that sees businesses develop stronger environmental and social practices, and more future-oriented business models.
These are the qualities that build the kind of sustainability capacity that underpins long-term competitiveness.
And this is where Re:Think this year comes in.
The focus of this week will be on helping local ideas to succeed on a global stage.
To facilitate this, Re:Think is taking an important step forward this year in its evolution as a platform for not just dialogue and discussion, but also one that identifies, showcases, and supports concrete solutions.
For example, through the new SPARK Selected Initiative, which we will be launching in just a little while, we are introducing a new mechanism to discover promising SDG-aligned innovations, give visibility to emerging brands and entrepreneurs, and connect them with partners, markets, and future opportunities.
In this way, our activities this week are only a starting point for longer-term engagement and growth by establishing an SDG-aligned community evident through their practices and products, helping to foster sustainable impact that extends into the future.
Moving ahead, UNDP is committed to working alongside our partners here in Chengdu and beyond to advance innovation for sustainable development, and support local contributions to SDG achievement.
In particular, we look forward to continue promoting ESG principles and working with private sector innovators and leaders to embed them into business practices.
With China a key driver of innovation and entrepreneurship, local Chinese enterprises and emerging brands are increasingly positioning themselves as leaders in sustainable innovation, and through the Re:Think platform, we have a golden opportunity to tap into this capacity and further connect it with international sustainability trends and standards, so that local innovation can translate into global impact.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Rescuing the SDGs – our global development blueprint for people and planet - requires all hands on deck.
The next game-changing solution we need could come from anywhere.
Therefore, our collective task is to ensure that ideas with potential are not only recognized, but developed, supported, and enabled to scale across borders.
“Local ideas, global pathways.” This is the vision that, together, we can aspire to realize – for a more sustainable, greener, and inclusive future for all.
Thank you, and I wish everyone a productive and inspiring week ahead.
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