The opening ceremony of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) 2019 Annual General Meeting on Monday in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. Photo: Shan Jie/GT

A conference on China's environmental policy consulting kicked off Monday ahead of the World Environment Day, in the hope of realizing zero carbon emissions for the event.

Around 500 people working on the environment on Monday gathered in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, for the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) 2019 Annual General Meeting.

Following the conference, Hangzhou will host the World Environment Day celebrations on Wednesday, with the theme "Beat Air Pollution."

The event will realize carbon neutral, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE).

The Environmental Development Center (EDC) under the MEE bought carbon sink products from the Saihanba forest in North China's Hebei Province equal to the carbon emission of the conference.

It is estimated that no more than 3,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions would be generated during the conference, which involves all the attendees' transportation, catering and accommodations.

"The conference was organized with the green principle," Yang Gongjiang, who is in charge of the publicity of the Zhejiang Ecology and Environment Bureau, told the Global Times.

Yang said new energy vehicles, recycled paper and non-plastic bottles were used at the event. The conference encourages attendees to avoid using disposable goods.

Pure electric shuttle buses serves the CCICED 2019 annual meeting and the World Environment Day in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. Photo: Shan Jie/GT

It is the first time that a CCICED meeting and the World Environment Day could realize a carbon neutral, the MEE said.

China's Minister of Ecology and Environment Li Ganjie said at the opening ceremony that this year is a key year of beating the pollution. China will promote high-quality economic development and ecological and environmental protection, and keep improving the environmental quality to provide the Chinese people a sustainable and beautiful future.

Li Ganjie, China's Minister of Ecology and Environment, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the CCICED 2019 annual meeting on Monday in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. Photo: Shan Jie/GT

Xie Zhenhua, China's special representative for climate change affairs, said that China has been trying to perform a leading role as a participant in global environment governance and sustainable development, during which the CCICED has played an active role and will continue to bring a significant effect.

The CCICED was founded in 1992 as a high-level international advisory body with the approval of the government of China, according to the organization's website.