Industry leaders, including those from organizations based in China, say they support a sustainable recovery from COVID-19, and governments, organizations and businesses should work together to ensure a green future.

The consensus among pundits came as they addressed the Sustainability Summit 2021, an event held by the British Chamber of Commerce in China and co-hosted by World Economic Forum (WEF) on Wednesday, in the Chinese capital Beijing.

Steven Lynch, managing director of the British Chamber of Commerce China, said it's an "absolute must" to engage in all aspects of sustainability, of which typical examples are decarbonization and the race to net zero. He also believes it is essential to integrate sustainable development goals such as Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) into businesses.

ESG refers to the three essential factors to measure the sustainability and societal impact of business owners' investments.

Experts like Lynch think the importance of sustainability both in the public and private sectors cannot be stressed enough. Many of them are optimistic that governments and businesses around the world are putting more efforts into integrating these concepts with their operations.

China, as the world's largest developing country, has recently pledged to take action by reaching carbon neutrality by 2060, an action that's been welcomed by most in the businesses world.

David Aikman, chief representative of WEF's China Office, said China will play an important role in shaping the global ESG eco-system going forward. Speaking on behalf of his organization, Aikman said he has already seen Chinese investors and capital providers double down on the business opportunities that ESG products represent.

Meanwhile, officials from the United Nations (UN) believe a broader level of partnerships should be the basis for future progress, and that should include international organizations, such as the UN, which is in lockstep with government agencies.

"A united strategy of business will help the world build back better from a green perspective, to look at the green economy, to look at the blue economy," said Siddharth Chatterjee, UN resident coordinator in China, who believes the opportunities on that front are immense.