Guilin, April 29, 2026 — From April 28 to 29, an international group of experts from the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) visited Integral, Esquel Group’s sustainable development garden in Guilin, for a field study and plenary meeting.

The visit is part of a Special Policy Study (SPS) on “Advancing High-Quality Development Through Circular Economy with Smart Digitalization.”  Against a backdrop of amid profound global changes, the study aims to examine the role of the circular economy and explore how digital technologies can support its development, providing strategic insights for China’s green transition under the 15th Five-Year Plan.

Exploring New Models for Circular Economy

As a key initiative under CCICED’s Sustainable Production and Consumption framework, the SPS builds on its 2025 analysis of circular economy progress in China and Europe. It focuses on how digital technologies can support the design and deployment of circular economy policy tools, such as Digital Product Passports (DPP) and Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), to enable more efficient resource management.

The delegation brought together leading experts from China and around the world, including Mr. Liu Shijin, CCICED Chinese Chief Advisor and former Vice President of the Development Research Center of the State Council; Mr. Scott Vaughan, CCICED International Chief Advisor and Senior Fellow of the International Institute for Sustainable Development; as well as SPS Co-Chairs Professor Hu Qing and Ms. Ilka Hirt. Through site visits and discussions, the group exchanged views on the progress of circular economy policies and practical implementation.

Mr. Liu Shijin, CCICED Chinese Chief Advisor and former Vice President of the Development Research Center of the State Council (Left), and Professor Hu Qing, SPS Chinese Co-Chair (Right)

Mr. Scott Vaughan, CCICED International Chief Advisor and Senior Fellow of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (Left), and Ms. Ilka Hirt, SPS International Co-Chair (Right)

Integral was selected as a case study to provide a real-world example of how sustainability can be integrated into manufacturing, offering practical insights for future policy development.

Advancing the Textile Industry’s Green Transformation

During the visit, Ms. Marjorie Yang, Chairman of Esquel Group, and her team shared Integral’s ongoing work in areas such as ecological restoration, carbon reduction, water management, and natural dyeing. Ms. Yang has been a member of CCICED since 2017 and has long supported sustainability initiatives and dialogue.

The textile industry, identified as a key focus area in the study, faces challenges in advancing circularity, including material collection and sorting, traceability, and the wider use of recycled materials. At Integral, the delegation observed how digital tools are being integrated into operations to support more efficient and responsible manufacturing, while working in harmony with the natural environment. This approach, which combines advanced manufacturing with environmental stewardship, offers a practical reference for addressing some of the industry’s most pressing challenges.

Advancing High-Quality Development Through Innovation and Collaboration

The visit provided valuable insights for the research team, while also showcasing how businesses can play a role in advancing more sustainable supply chains.

Looking ahead, Integral will continue to encourage collaboration and knowledge exchange, and explore new ways to apply digital technologies in circular economy practices, contributing to more sustainable and resilient growth in the years to come.

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