LONDON, Feb. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Lei Zhang, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Envision, has been named the recipient of the Energy Institute's 2026 President's Award. In bestowing Zhang with its highest honour, the Institute highlighted Envision's role in shaping the global energy transition to drive economic growth and long-term prosperity while accelerating decarbonisation.
In recognising Zhang, the Energy Institute pointed to his standing as a thought leader who has consistently framed the energy transition as a systems challenge — and an economic opportunity — rather than a constraint. His work was cited for advancing industry standards, supporting skills and education, and promoting long-term thinking about how energy systems can better serve societies and economies.
The award also marks a notable moment for the private sector. Zhang is the first entrepreneur and business leader to receive the President's Award, following previous recipients largely drawn from government, diplomacy and international organisations.
Energy Institute President Andy Brown commented:
"The President's Award is the Energy Institute's highest honour, presented to individuals whose achievements have had a transformative impact on global energy. Lei's vision and leadership have made him one of the foremost global energy leaders. Through Envision, he is shaping the AI energy system providing a foundation that is infinite, intelligent and affordable for all."
The Institute said the award reflects a growing recognition that achieving net zero will depend not only on policy, but on businesses capable of building and operating the infrastructure and digital systems that make the transition investable and durable despite the challenges that exist.
Upon accepting the award, Zhang said the world is at a pivotal moment, as technology has driven renewable energy costs down to the point where it can be both affordable and abundant. While skepticism remains, he drew a historical parallel to the 13th century, when paper was dismissed as an inferior alternative to parchment—until its affordability broke the monopoly on knowledge and opened access to the masses.
Zhang expressed optimism for humanity's future, stating "The age of fossil fuels will pass. What rises next is not just new energy system – but a new horizon for humanity. When energy becomes abundant and accessible, like paper once was for knowledge, it will unlock intelligence, it will restore dignity, it will reshape cooperation. That is how we will create a new prosperity for civilization."
Zhang is an influential voice in the international energy and climate spheres. He co-founded the Global School of Sustainability with the London School of Economics and was named among TIME's "100 Most Influential Climate Leaders of 2025.
Professor Nicholas Stern, Chair of the Global School of Sustainability said:
"Sustainable development is the only route to strong and secure growth. Sustainability is the new prosperity. Lei's commitment to harnessing technology for humanity's shared energy challenges, together with his extraordinary creativity and drive, provide a powerful example of the kind of leadership we need as we accelerate the pace of change across the world."
Founded in 2007, Envision has built its strategy around the idea that clean energy is not only an environmental imperative, but a foundation for new economic opportunity. It recently announced the global launch of Dubhe, a groundbreaking energy foundation model that will enable energy systems to scale in step with AI, shaping the AI energy system.
The Energy Institute (EI) is the chartered professional membership body for people working across the world of energy. Their purpose is to create a better energy future by accelerating a just global transition to net zero. International Energy Week, organised by the EI, brings together policymakers, industry leader and experts in London annually.
Below is the full text of the speech:
Creating a New Prosperity for Civilization
I am deeply honored to receive this award. It is not only a recognition of my team and myself, but also an affirmation of our shared vision — the vision of creating a new prosperity for civilization.
We are at a pivotal moment in the development of civilization. Artificial intelligence is taking humanity into a new era of energy demand. Over the next 50 years, global power demand may increase ten times. Just as no one could predict a hundred times rise of energy before the invention of the steam engine.
At the same time, the climate crisis intensifies. With finite fossil fuel reserves, we must confront a fundamental question:
How can we sustain the long-term prosperity of civilization?
This urgency is driving us to build a new energy foundation— a system with three key pillars : Infinite, Intelligent, and Inexpensive.
Encouragingly, this vision is becoming reality. Once expensive renewable energy, has now surpassed fossil fuels in cost competition. Through large-scale innovation, China has helped drive down the global costs of wind, solar, and energy storage by around 90%, making renewables affordable energy.
Yet alongside progress come doubts. Some mistake "abundance" for "overcapacity." Others view "affordability" with suspicion.
This reminds me of a misunderstanding from a thousand years ago. In the 13th century, when papermaking technology from China reached Europe, paper was dismissed as a "cheap and fragile" substitute for parchment. Emperor Frederick II even declared documents written on paper invalid. To the elites of the time, inexpensive paper lacked the dignity of costly parchment.
And yet, it was precisely this accessibility — this very "cheapness" — that broke the monopoly of knowledge. It allowed ordinary people to access the knowledge and ultimately helped ignite the Renaissance.
History teaches us that civilization advances through abundance and accessibility. Today, this abundance is laying the foundation for a new energy system.
It will unleash the full potential of AI, expanding the upper limits of civilization. A tenfold increase in power demand is not a burden — it is the nourishment for computational evolution. Without abundant and intelligent energy, the flower of AI cannot fully bloom.
It will also uphold the dignity of humanity and protect the foundation of civilization. In Africa, off-grid systems are lighting remote villages for the first time. In Pakistan, solar panels have become one of the most treasured wedding gifts. In the Middle East, affordable electricity enables desalination that turns desert into farmland. In Southeast Asia remote mountain, wind-powered base stations connect children to global knowledge.
Humanity will move from competing over limited resources to jointly developing the infinite flows of nature — building a new civilization rooted in cooperation.
The age of fossil fuels will pass. What rises next is not just a new energy system —but a new horizon for humanity. When energy becomes abundant and accessible — like paper once was for knowledge
It will unlock intelligence.
It will restore dignity.
It will reshape cooperation.
That is how we will create a new prosperity for civilization.
- end -
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Lei Zhang Becomes First Private-Sector Leader to Receive Energy Institute President's Award
ANSHUN, China, May 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 21, at the Guizhou Anshun Tourism Development Conference, Mafengwo Travel Group officially launched three flagship "New Mountain Play" benchmark projects — Huangheying Water Cave, Lotus Ancient Cave, and Luoyang Glasswater Gorge — while jointly releasing the 2026 Anshun Mountain Outdoor New Play Playbook with the Anshun Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, TV and Tourism. By redefining mountain outdoor travel experiences through "new play," the initiative injects fresh momentum into Anshun's positioning as an international mountain tourism destination.
"Personalized travel is rising rapidly. Tourism is transitioning from a 'sightseeing economy' to an 'experience economy.' More than just 'having been there,' travelers today seek emotional value from scenic spots and related projects," said Chen Gang, Founder and CEO of Mafengwo, in a speech titled *Co-creating the Super Play Era of Mountain Tourism*. He noted that leveraging benchmark new-play projects such as Huangheying Water Cave, Lotus Ancient Cave, and Luoyang Glasswater Gorge, Mafengwo will work with Anshun to integrate "new play, new formats, new marketing, and new consumption" into a holistic innovation ecosystem for destination-wide play. Together, they aim to revitalize natural resources, energize industrial momentum, link rural revitalization, and jointly build Anshun into a national hub for new mountain play.
At a time when travelers are increasingly weary of "man-made check-in spots" and homogenized internet-famous projects, the newly launched projects abandon the old path of large-scale construction. Instead, they return to the wild itself, adopting a "light development, heavy experience" approach to create mountain plays that are "wild on the outside, refined on the inside." Huangheying Water Cave focuses on "natural wonders + interactive adventure," using its original "water-cave" karst features to create a genuine sense of "underground exploration." Lotus Ancient Cave, based on a massive natural cave, integrates "light ultimate" activities such as via ferrata, rappelling, and cave drop towers, allowing ordinary visitors to feel adrenaline-pumping "heart-racing moments" in a natural setting. Luoyang Glasswater Gorge follows the original river course, using natural elevation differences to design trails for hiking, canyoning, and waterfall rappelling, with minimal artificial construction, emphasizing the pristine "glass water" and an eco-harmonious, back-to-nature mountain experience.
At the "2026 Anshun Mountain Tourism New Play" sharing session, Mafengwo Travel Group and the Anshun Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, TV and Tourism jointly released the *2026 Anshun Mountain Outdoor New Play Playbook*. Ten selected plays in non-traditional mountain settings were featured, including "Night Tour of Dupo Tang — Immersive Journey into the World of Journey to the West," "Watch Intangible Cultural Heritage 'Spider-Man' Climb Cliffs for Bird's Nests," and "370-Meter Free Fall at Balinghe Bridge." These showcase how Anshun creatively uses its karst landscapes as a natural "amusement park" for mountain experiences.
He Weihong, Vice Mayor of Anshun, stated in his address: "In Anshun, the 'City of 21°C,' mountains are no longer just scenery to be viewed. They are living fields to be climbed, immersed in, jumped over, and breathed in. Anshun will take this conference as an opportunity to accelerate the internationalization of its mountain tourism and build a first-class mountain outdoor sports destination." During the event, Anshun Tourism Group also promoted its mountain outdoor travel routes.
By early 2026, the number of outdoor sports participants in China had exceeded 400 million, with participation in mountain hiking, trail running, rock climbing, and canyoning rising year by year. Driven by the dual trends of "nationwide fitness" and "pan-outdoor" activities, mountain play is moving from niche circles to the general public. Unlike the high barriers of traditional outdoor activities, Anshun's new plays target the blue ocean market of "light ultimate + strong experience + high shareability." Whether it's a "bridge bungee jump," checking out the natural wonder "Eye of the Great Sage," or experiencing a "Journey to the West fantasy" at night by Dupo Tang Waterfall — these activities are novel, beginner-friendly, and serve as natural content and social currency.
Anshun's mountain play innovation has also attracted international attention. Anouar, Chief Representative of the Tunisian National Tourism Office in China, noted in his speech that Anshun's innovation in integrating mountain tourism and sports is worth learning from for many international peers. He noted that Tunisia has diverse mountain resources across the country, with history embedded in the mountains and culture in the scenery — this is the unique charm of Tunisia's mountains. He looks forward to China-Tunisia cooperation to explore more mountain tourism opportunities and co-create new partnership models.
An international dialogue session brought together representatives from the Norwegian National Tourist Board, Visit Flanders (Belgium), and the Saudi Tourism Authority to discuss mountain outdoor tourism upgrade from a global perspective. The guests agreed that they were delighted to see that Anshun is not simply replicating a "Switzerland of the East" but is creating an entirely new "universal language of mountain tourism." The internationalization of mountain tourism is not about imitation but about excavating the unique narratives of local landscapes — with its green mountains and clear waters as the canvas and play innovation as the brush, Anshun is painting a vibrant new picture for the world.
A domestic dialogue session brought together frontier explorers, practitioners, and experts in mountain sports tourism to discuss the future development of mountain sports tourism from the perspectives of communities, products, and operations. Qin Chuan, Founder of Wanan Youth Travel, noted that with technological advancements and equipment iteration, more and more "outdoor novices" without professional training can enjoy the pleasures of the wild. Currently, Wanan Youth Travel is selecting and developing "super single products" and continuously improving service quality to deliver ultimate outdoor experiences to visitors.
After the conference, industry guests conducted on-site inspections of new play projects, including Lotus Ancient Cave, Dupo Tang Night Tour, Anshun Ancient Town, and Getu River. Wang Yu, Chief Representative of the Norwegian National Tourist Board in Greater China, remarked: "Anshun and Norway share many similarities. Anshun's new mountain plays emphasize 'light development, heavy experience.' Take Lotus Ancient Cave — it doesn't feel like a 'designed' scenic spot, but rather an extension of Anshun's natural mountain charm itself, an experiential field you can fully immerse yourself in. The scale of this 'light ultimate' experience is just right — thrilling enough, yet truly authentic."
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
Light Ultimate, High Experience, Original Ecology, Personalization -- Mafengwo and Anshun Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, TV and Tourism Co-create New Forms of Mountain Tourism
Light Ultimate, High Experience, Original Ecology, Personalization -- Mafengwo and Anshun Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, TV and Tourism Co-create New Forms of Mountain Tourism
