Amid an accelerating global shift toward low-carbon economies and systemic industrial change, the official launch of GREENEXT Expo 2026 has been announced. As China’s premier cross-industry exhibition and summit platform dedicated to sustainable development, this edition is scheduled to take place in October 2026 at the iconic Shanghai Exhibition Center. The event is designed to serve as a dynamic collaborative ecosystem, bridging the gap between high-level business technology and social innovation to transform shared visions into scalable, real-world solutions
From Vision to Action: A legacy of rapid growth
The momentum for the 2026 edition is built upon a strong foundation of prior success, beginning with the platform's debut in 2024. That inaugural event, which focused on "ESG and Sustainable Transformation," welcomed 4,306 professional visitors and over 100 brands and institutions. It successfully moved ESG and net-zero ambitions from conceptual consensus into actionable industry practices. This trajectory continued with GREENEXT Expo 2025, held in September under the theme "A Journey to Sustainability," which delivered a significant upgrade in scale. The 2025 event attracted 5,022 attendees and more than 120 exhibiting companies, supported by 77 professional sessions exploring concrete pathways for industrial transformation. This steady growth reflects the deepening commitment of both industry and society to sustainability while connecting China’s innovative solutions with global best practices.
The 3 Strategic Pillars and 5 Thematic Zones
Rooted in the core mission to "Sustain Every Business," GREENEXT Expo 2026 is organized around three strategic pillars: Low-Carbon Transformation, Tech Innovation, and Business for good. These pillars are brought to life through a year-round framework featuring five core thematic zones that highlight the interconnected progress of people, nature, and industry.
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Thematic Zone |
Primary Focus and Strategic Objectives |
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Net Zero Engine |
Spotlights low-carbon technologies, energy transition, green manufacturing, AI, and advanced materials to strengthen value-chain competitiveness. |
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Nature Positive |
explores biodiversity protection, regenerative agriculture, water stewardship, and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to turn ecological value into commercial assets. |
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Circular Economy |
Features innovations in circular design and closed-loop systems to illustrate how resource efficiency drives scalable, growth-oriented strategies. |
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Conscious Living |
Bridges sustainable consumption with responsible fashion, clean beauty, and healthy lifestyles to meet evolving consumer expectations. |
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Business for Good |
Unites social innovation, education empowerment, cultural preservation, and impact investment for a virtuous cycle of commercial and societal value. |
Global reach and Cross-Sector collaboration
A defining feature of the 2026 journey is its synergy of diverse programs addressing both current and future challenges. From a global perspective, the "Global Navigation" program supports Chinese enterprises in navigating international regulations and market entry challenges while enhancing supply chain transparency. As a critical part of this effort, GREENEXT will host the "China Sustainability Pioneers" side event and showcase in Paris from March 30 to April 1, 2026, held in parallel with the world-leading ChangeNOW summit. This international presence aims to boost market credibility for Chinese enterprises in Europe and promote the internationalization of competitive Chinese solutions in areas like urban regeneration and technological innovation.
Domestically, the platform addresses structural transformation through industry-specific initiatives like "Fashion Forward," which targets brands and supply chain leaders to focus on decarbonization, circularity, and transparency. Previous participants in these efforts have included major names such as JNBY, adidas, and YKK. Furthermore, the event embeds sustainability at the city scale through the "Urban Regeneration" program, which treats commercial spaces as living labs for energy efficiency. The newly launched "Longevity & Wellbeing" program responds to the growing silver economy by integrating age-inclusive design with health technologies across healthcare and housing sectors.
New Frontiers and A Collective Symphony: Participation and early engagement
Dr. Hong Zheng, the founder of GREENEXT, emphasizes that sustainability is not an isolated challenge for a single sector but a systemic transformation requiring participation across the entire value chain. The platform aims to break down industry barriers to co-create solutions that combine wisdom, shared responsibility, and symbiotic growth. To facilitate this, GREENEXT Expo 2026 is now officially open for application, with an early-bird program offering a 5% discount to companies and partners who register before the end of April 2026.
Participants can engage deeply through a variety of formats, including exhibition booths, solution showcases, panel discussions, closed-door roundtables, and the release of progress reports on pilot projects. GREENEXT warmly invites brands, industry leaders, manufacturing innovators, and government bodies across sectors—from food and beauty to transportation and construction, to join this landmark event at the Shanghai Exhibition Center to explore low-carbon pathways and achieve dual commercial and societal value.
