Chinese and Italian companies can fruitfully cooperate in the broad energy transition process towards carbon neutrality, an Italian official said on Friday.

"In sectors such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, digitalization of the energetic infrastructure ... Chinese and Italian enterprises can cooperate successfully," said Minister for Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani.

The minister made the remarks in a video message sent to the conference "Italy-China: Energy transition -- Towards Sustainable Development," that brought together officials, experts and entrepreneurs from the two countries.

His address preceded three separate panel sessions, each dedicated to different aspects of the energy transition (the future of fossil fuels, innovative decarbonization projects and the 2030 roadmap for smart and sustainable cities).

Renowned experts, scholars and representatives of private companies exchanged views on how fossil energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions could be minimized by 2030 and eliminated by 2050 in the EU and by 2060 in China.

The panelists detailed the transition efforts of the most relevant economic sectors, such as mobility and transport, with an increasingly larger use of new energy sources, or agriculture with the reduction of chemical fertilizer use and the improvement of productivity and energy efficiency. The discussions were conducted within the broader framework of the circular economy.

"The circular economy is a universe still quite unexplored and Italy, with its innovative firms, appears well positioned," Cingolani said.

In the context of Sino-Italian relations, the official said that a strong link existed between the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) -- which will be co-hosted by Italy in November -- and the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) scheduled to open in China in October.

"Both events are focused on the fight against climate change, which also involves safeguarding and restoring biodiversity," he said.

The speakers at the conference also included Italy's Ambassador to China Luca Ferrari and head of China's National Energy Administration Zhang Jianhua.

The event was organized by the Italian Embassy in China, the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China in the framework of the Italian co-presidency of COP26 and of the celebrations of the Italian Research Day in the World.