Hundreds of Chinese, American Leaders, Policymakers in Clean Technology Meet at Pasadena Forum

Nearly 200 Chinese and American government, business leaders and clean energy and environmental policymakers gathered in Pasadena on Tuesday for forum which was part a series of conferences and exhibitions promoting bilateral cooperation in trade, culture and environment.

The one-day U.S. China Cleantech Innovation Forum focused on sharing ideas and research as well as fostering investment opportunities in the burgeoning industries of clean and renewable energy and technology.

At the conference, Jeffrey Dutton, acting director of US Commerce Department’s China Office said that trade and commerce are important parts of the US-China cooperation against climate change.
Dr. Feng An, Founder and Executive Director of the U.S.-China Cleantech Center (UCCTC), sounded optimistic about progress.

“China and the U.S., the two most powerful countries in the world, can work together and achieve global magnitude in clean technology,” An said.

Headquartered in nearby in Los Angeles and also in Beijing, UCCTC is a public-private partnership between the Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation and the US Department of Commerce.

The organization says it is dedicated in providing U.S. clean technology firms a cost-effective and strategic launching pad where they can showcase and sell their products and services in China’s leading markets for clean-tech.

Mayor Terry Tornek expressed the correlation between Pasadena and China and how matters of fostering a green environment holds true to being a key element of Pasadena’s mission.

“Pasadena prides itself in terms of being a green city,” said Tornek. “It’s particularly important for us to be hosting this event is the growing relationship between Pasadena and China. We have a tremendous amount of investment that’s coming our way from China. Pasadena welcomes that.”

Pasadena seems to be a fitting location to kickstart a global initiative in renewable energy given that institutions like Caltech and JPL provide some of the world’s leading minds and technology in this arena of science and innovation.

Investment opportunity and outstanding network possibilities went hand in hand at the forum, in which heavyweights in Pasadena and clean technology like Bill Gross, CEO of Idealab, expressed the importance of understanding the level of opportunity that world’s reliance of fossil fuels has created in the cleantech industry.

“We love our fossil fuels. But now, problems lead to opportunity. Entrepreneurship is the best way to mobilize minds and combine resources,” explained Gross.

Gross, who has created helped companies earn $3.5 billion and create over 10,000 jobs, plays a vital role in conveying the types of individuals, companies and technologies that are needed to collaborate good ideas and bring them to life.

A sense of urgency and determination to collaborate in a timely manner was a common thread expressed by several professionals.

“I don’t want to wait 50 years. We need it now. There is an important need for the US and China to collaborate,” said Qualitative Economist Dr. Woodrow Clark.

The forum was a glimpse into global efforts that are in motion to open new markets and potentially huge business venture to not only circulate the global economy, but to also circulate the interest to the masses worldwide.

Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek addressed the forum.