Li said that low-carbon development concerns the future of the world, and innovation is the foremost driving force to lead this development.

With the theme "Low Carbon: a new mission for global innovation", this year's forum is of great significance in working together to realize sustainable development goals globally, Li said.

As the world's largest developing country, China chose to realize its modernization via low-carbon and green development efforts, which is unprecedented in the history of humanity, and can only be achieved with arduous efforts, Li said.

As a result, China unswervingly upholds the policy of opening-up, and will further expand high-level opening-up to deepen reform, promote high-quality development, and strengthen all-around international cooperation and in-depth communications, in order to achieve a win-win situation, Li added.

The forum, which runs through Tuesday, is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Shanghai municipal government, with the Netherlands as this year's country of honor and Hainan as the province of honor.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, in a letter of congratulations, said the challenges confronting the world need international cooperation and long-term planning, and joint technological advancement and the sharing of innovative ideas are extremely important for everyone to embrace a sustainable future.

The Pujiang Innovation Forum offers us a platform where experts can get together to discuss and display their innovations, he added.

This year's theme addresses one of the most urgent challenges that both China and the Netherlands are facing, Rutte said.

Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang said at the forum's opening ceremony on Saturday that the realization of the carbon neutrality targets involves a technological revolution equating a third industrial revolution, which will restructure the global energy structure, industrial development and the production and lifestyle of human beings.

China has made quite a few major achievements in technological innovations in the past year, and the nation's innovative-driven development strategy has been applied effectively.

Borge Brende, president of the World Economic Forum, also called for strengthened international cooperation. Every nation and every enterprise must work hand in hand, otherwise, the common climate goal cannot be achieved, Brende said.

This year's forum includes dozens of activities including a main forum, sub-forums, seminars, the release of achievements, and the launch of a global technology supply-demand matchmaking platform. Topics covered at the forum include young scientists, women scientists, young elite scientists, global health and development, the Belt and Road Initiative and a green technology bank.

As the country of honor this year, the Netherlands hosted a water technology event on Saturday, featuring Sino-Dutch cooperation on sustainable water technology innovations.

Organizations from the Netherlands and China will also hold an energy dialogue seminar on Monday with speakers from China and Europe providing perspectives on energy transition, innovations in industry decarbonization, green hydrogen and battery technology.

More than 230 experts from about 30 countries and regions are expected to take part in the four-day event both online and offline, discussing topics including low-carbon development driven by technology innovation, as well as deepening technological cooperation in decarbonization.