On January 18, 2021, GEM, the Organizing Committee of Paulson Prize for Sustainability and the China Association of Circular Economy held a forum. The three parties had in-depth discussions and exchanges on promoting cooperation in key areas of circular economy. The forum was attended by Mr. Yu Jiang, Chief Representative of Paulson Institute Beijing Office and Foreign Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of Paulson Prize for Sustainability, Mr. Zhao Kai, Executive Vice President of China Association of Circular Economy, and GEM Board Chairman Prof. Xu Kaihua.

On November 18, 2020, the “City Waste Battery Recycle and Reuse” project of GEM (Wuhan) Urban Mine Recycling Industrial Park Development Co., Ltd. received the Paulson Prize for Sustainability 2020 - Green Innovation.

At the forum, Secretary General Yu Jiang of Paulson Institute presented the annual prize cup to GEM Board Chairman Prof. Xu Kaihua. He said that the project of “City Waste Battery Recycle and Reuse” project of GEM has won unanimous praise from Chinese and foreign judges, and the recycling mode of urban solid waste - waste battery proposed by the project is highly innovative and replicable. Sustainable development has a long way to go, and the “Paulson Prize” encourages more market solutions to contribute to China’s and even global green development.

As NEVs prosper in China and even in the world, the environmental and resource utilization problems caused by retired power batteries of NEVs will become increasingly prominent. The project starts from the recycling of waste dry batteries in a forward-looking way, deeply considers the recycling and reusing of batteries, and gives full play to the technological innovation advantages, market advantages and industry advantages of enterprises, so as to find a recycling road for waste batteries.

Chairman Xu Kaihua expressed his joy at winning the prize and his sincere thanks to Mr. Paulson and the Organizing Committee of the Paulson Prize. He pointed out that this will enhance the reputation of GEM in the field of global waste recycling, and promote it’s extensive cooperation with global automobile and battery enterprises in the recycling of waste batteries.

At the forum, GEM decided to give the prize bonus to China Association of Circular Economy to promote the innovative mode experience in the field of recycling of waste batteries and promote the development of urban resource recycling industry. Mr. Zhao Kai, Executive Vice President of China Association of Circular Economy, said that the association will take the opportunity of “Paulson Prize for Sustainability” to further carry out in-depth cooperation with GEM and Paulson Institute, give full play to the advantages of all parties, integrate various resources, carry out relevant activities and project cooperation around key areas of cycle economy such as power batteries and recycled metal materials, and support the “urban mineral” demonstration, the experience and mode of national demonstration and pilot work, such as resource recycling base and “waste free city”. At the same time, the association will give full play to its role as a bridge, strengthen international exchanges and cooperation with industries, governments and enterprises, promote the high-quality development of China’s and the world’s cycle economy, help China achieve the goal of carbon peak and carbon neutralization as soon as possible, and jointly promote global green, low-carbon and sustainable development!