By Zhao Yu
The Green and Sustainable Development Forum of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was held in Ningbo in April, underscoring the city's growing role in regional cooperation on green growth. Under the SCO's broader vision of building a community with a shared future for sustainable development, Ningbo, a manufacturing powerhouse, is advancing practical collaboration through efforts spanning low-carbon technologies, renewable energy and cross-border industrial partnerships.
The forum also highlighted how Ningbo's green transition is increasingly reflected in real-world cooperation and everyday innovation, from overseas clean-energy projects to the city's own evolving environmental landscape.
A Green Partnership, Powered by the Sun
Over a decade ago, Pakistan's solar market was practically non-existent. Su Shenghua, deputy sales director of Ningbo Ulica Solar Co., Ltd., recalled attending an exhibition in Lahore, where interest from local buyers was limited by high costs.
A breakthrough came the following year at the Canton Fair, where Su met Afnan, owner of a water pump factory in Pakistan. The two later established a partnership after Afnan visited the company in China. Around the same time, Pakistan began constructing solar-powered irrigation projects in regions such as Peshawar, creating new opportunities.
Large areas of Pakistan's fertile farmland lie in remote regions, at the edges of deserts and deep in the mountains, with limited road access and little connection to the electricity grid. Solar-powered water pumps have since provided an alternative, allowing farmers to draw water from wells to irrigate fields using solar panels rather than back-breaking manual labor.
"Whenever there is sunlight, the pumps can operate and water can be supplied," Su said.
The partnership between Ulica and Afnan has continued for more than ten years. Afnan has participated in government tenders and placed regular orders, ranging from about a dozen shipping containers in slower years to more than a hundred in stronger periods. In recent years, growing demand for solar energy among individual households has also led him to become a distributor.
Over the same period, Ulica's photovoltaic products have evolved from polycrystalline to monocrystalline technology, and from PERC to TOPCon modules. Panel output has increased from around 200 watts to more than 600 watts, while conversion efficiency has risen from about 16% to over 22%.
Prices have also fallen significantly. "A container of solar panels would cost around $200,000 ten years ago. Now it's only $50,000," Su said, noting strong demand for cost-effective products in the markets of SCO countries.
The company has since expanded beyond Pakistan into Central Asia and Eastern Europe. The solar panel markets in countries such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are emerging, while demand in Russia and Belarus is burgeoning as the energy transition gathers pace.
A Green Ningbo Through an Everyday Lens
Sudheer Uralath, an Indian photographer based in Ningbo, has documented the city's landscapes and daily life over eleven years, capturing what he describes as its "greenery and vitality" through a series of images.
One photograph shows a rural field he encountered by chance while travelling to Xumin Village in Ninghai. Captivated by the sight, he stopped and waited for nearly an hour to capture the moment as the setting sun cast a pink-orange glow over the hills. In the frame, a villager carrying a bamboo basket walks along a ridge.
"Ningbo's beauty is often found off the beaten track," Sudheer said, noting that quiet country roads can offer glimpses of everyday life.
Another image features the redwood trees at Siming Lake at dawn. While the area is known locally for its autumn and winter scenery, Sudheer sought a different perspective. After two unsuccessful attempts, he returned a third time, setting out at 3:50AM. As the sun broke through the mist, light spread across the lake, with a duck passing through the illuminated water.
"It felt like a gift from nature," he said. He later returned with a telephoto lens, but the moment could not be recreated. "Some scenes can only be encountered, not planned."
A third photograph reflects a more personal experience. Early one spring morning, Sudheer cycled to Limin Village near Dongqian Lake to photograph pear blossoms. On the way, he stopped at a small shop after catching the smell of freshly cooked rice. Villagers were pounding warm rice in a huge mortar to make rice cakes; they gladly offered him a piece, steaming hot and delightfully chewy
"It was simple, just the natural sweetness of the rice. I've never had anything like it," he recalled. Afterwards, he continued to the lake, where he photographed a boat resting on still water under a light mist.
Having travelled widely, Sudheer has since made Ningbo his home. He said he plans to continue exploring the city by bicycle, photographing its streets, villages and landscapes in search of beautiful moments that emerge unexpectedly.