Spotlight on COP30 | CAEP’s AR Interactive Experience Shines as a Highlight at COP30 China Pavilion

 

At the side event of the "China Pavilion" during the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the augmented reality (AR) interactive experience "Net-Zero Mission"—elaborately designed and produced by the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning (CAEP)—shone as a highlight of the venue, attracting participants from various countries to stop and engage. Through an innovative digital format, it vividly showcases China’s unwavering commitment to addressing climate change and advancing green, low-carbon development, along with its remarkable progress.

 

 

This AR interactive experience features an ingenious design with profound implications. Participants first encounter a "black stubborn stone" symbolizing the traditional high-carbon development model, which they need to reach out and exert force to shatter—inscribed with "GHGs" (Greenhouse Gases). Subsequently, the broken stone fragments dynamically reorganize in virtual space, transforming into the striking word "ZERO"—a symbol of China’s and the world’s resolute transition toward a "net-zero emission" future. During the experience, floating 3D icons illustrate China’s green transition: sprawling photovoltaic arrays, rotating wind turbines, lush forests, and new energy vehicles operating alongside charging piles. These elements reflect China’s remarkable achievements in scaling up renewable energy applications, enhancing forest carbon sinks, and promoting green transportation.

Technology-Enabled Storytelling: Intuitively Presenting China’s Policies and Actions

This AR interactive experience is a collaboration between the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning (CAEP) and Xreal, a global leader in AR glasses. In designing the project, CAEP transformed key content—such as "China’s 2035-updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) targets" and "the national carbon market—now a powerful tool for advancing the ‘dual carbon’ goals"—into an immersive interactive experience. This allows international guests to grasp the ambition and action pathways of China’s climate policies. Explaining the design philosophy, experts from CAEP’s Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality Research Center noted at the event: "We aim to tell China’s climate action story in a more vivid and tangible way through this interactive experience. Both the segment of shattering high-carbon dependence and the ultimately presented zero-carbon vision convey a clear message: regardless of changes in the international situation, China will not slow down its actions to actively address climate change, nor will it weaken its efforts to promote international cooperation."

Resonate: Connecting Personal Commitments with Global Actions

The conclusion of the experience is filled with warmth and strength. Participants are invited to write down their environmental commitments to the Earth on the devices, and these promises converge into a collective force for global climate governance. An international participant remarked, "This is not just a technological experience; it also makes me clearly feel that everyone can be part of the solution."

This AR interactive experience is not only an innovative attempt to communicate climate change information but also showcases China’s cutting-edge technology in intelligent science and technology. Built on XREAL’s self-developed BeamPro computing terminal and centered on the full-featured 6DoF glasses XREAL Air 2 Ultra, it integrates spatial computing and visual recognition technologies. With just a stretch of the hand, users can experience the achievements of China’s low-carbon initiatives in a world where virtuality and reality intersect. On the stage of COP30, transforming complex policy language and grand development achievements into an immersive experience that transcends linguistic and cultural barriers fully demonstrates China’s image as a proactive and responsible major power in ecological civilization construction and global environmental governance.