China and France are long-standing partners in environmental protection and green development, and international companies from both sides are vital for translating the partnership into tangible results, said Xavier Girre, CEO of SUEZ, a French-based environment and utility giant.
Girre, who is part of French President Emmanuel Macron's business delegation on his December visit to China, says his company is seeking more opportunities for cooperation and innovation in the sustainable development sector.
"In fact, it's my second visit since being appointed as CEO, because I already came to China, because China is really a great country and a very important country for SUEZ. And each time I come to China, I feel energized. It's very rewarding hearing directly from our Chinese partners about the value we create together. As one of the first international environmental companies to operate in China since the 1970s, SUEZ has built long-term partnerships with municipal and industrial clients in more than 30 major cities and regions. China is a strategic market for SUEZ. We are determined to deepen our partnerships, bring more innovations, and work side by side with our local, municipal, and industrial clients to support the country's ecological transition and high-quality development," he said.
President Macron's visit signals growing opportunities between the two countries, Girre said, adding that companies like SUEZ will play a major role.
"I think that China and France share a long-standing commitment to climate action and environmental protection. At SUEZ, we believe that addressing climate changes requires global collaboration in the field of innovation. By combining China's skill and ambition with France's expertise and environmental services, we can accelerate projects that deliver tangible benefits," he said.
"Both sides have developed a large scope of economic, trade, and technological cooperation. The ecological transition is one of the many fields in which this cooperation is blooming. Companies like SUEZ can play a key role in translating this relationship into tangible outcomes," he added.
As a world-leading water and waste management expert, SUEZ values China as one of its most important partners in sustainable development and green technology, Girre said.
"Strategically, we will focus on areas where our expertise is most needed. Integrated water and waste services for major cities, customized solutions for industrial parks, seawater desalination in water-stressed regions, and low-carbon circular economy projects. Geographically, we expect to see more projects in fast growing urban clusters and key industrial regions where environmental infrastructure is expanding rapidly. Our ambition is not to be the biggest, but to be the best environmental company in China, delivering trusted, high-quality, and performance-oriented solutions," he said.
By 2024, SUEZ had established over 400 drinking water and wastewater treatment plants in China, serving over 25 million residents. The company has also set up research and development centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Macao, among other localities, focusing on water and waste management technologies.
China, France share commitment to green development: Suez CEO
