Established in July 2015, “SUC Forum” was initiated and hosted by SUC Programme Management Center, robustly supported by the UN Agencies and the related ministries and commissions of China, and has ignited great response both at home and abroad. The Forum focuses on the international benchmark project of sustainable development in China—the “Sustainable Urban Development and Liveable Garden Community Programme/SUC Programme” under the UN framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. After years of development, it has become an important international exchange and cooperation platform for promoting the sustainable development of Chinese cities and communities, as well as a significant dialogue mechanism for government and enterprises to jointly explore a practical and feasible path towards sustainable development for cities and communities.

The first session of SUC Forum was held in Beijing on July 13th, 2015, jointly hosted by UN Environment Programme and JiaCui (China) Environmental Promotion Centre, co-organised by UN-Habitat, supported by Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Ministry of Ecology and Environment and National Development and Reform Commission of China, etc. More than 300 domestic and international officials, experts and NGO workers in the sustainable development field were present, providing insights and advices for the co-building of sustainable cities and communities and the joint implementation of SDG 11.

In 2017, the “SDE (Sustainable Development of Energy) Forum” was initiated by SUC Programme Management Center in cooperation with the UN Office for Sustainable Development. The International Energy Agency took this opportunity to officially join in the strategic cooperation network of SUC Programme, providing support and guidance on the launch and convening of the Forum. The IEA works together with SUC PMC in jointly organizing international and thematic forums on sustainable development of energy, with the goal to build an international exchange platform for sustainable development in energy industry, leading the policy direction for clean energy in China, as well as improving the international cooperation level for Chinese local governments and facilitating clean and efficient utilization of city energy via high-level and professional dialogues. SUC PMC and IEA have set foot on many cities, such as Beijing, Changxing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanxi, Xi’an, etc., for exploring the development of city energy market, and clean, efficient and sustainable utilization of city energy at local level together with local governments, associations, enterprises and public institutions.