ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia, Aug. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- From August 17 to 28, 2026, the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) is being held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. During the conference, LONGi participated in several side events, systematically presenting the enormous potential of PV technology to enhance the resilience of global food supply, and officially released its solutions for PV-powered food security.

At a side event titled "From Desert to Asset – Comprehensive Solutions for Integrated PV-Based Ecological Restoration," co-hosted by the School of Social Sciences of Tsinghua University and the China Green Foundation, Li Zhenguo, founder and Chief Technology Officer of LONGi, joined via video link and noted that traditional food production relies heavily on natural photosynthesis and climatic conditions. Extreme weather events such as droughts and floods have severely impacted agricultural production, and global climate change is placing unprecedented pressure on an already fragile food supply system. However, as costs decline, PV technology can not only reduce carbon emissions but also offer a new solution for enhancing the resilience of global food supply.

Li Zhenguo recently published a forward-looking Perspective article titled "Photovoltaics for food security" in the leading international academic journal Nature Sustainability, in which he systematically set out two technological pathways with practical application prospects.

Pathway 1: PV-driven artificial synthesis of starch from carbon dioxide. PV-generated electricity is used to electrolyze water and produce green hydrogen, which is then coupled with captured CO₂ to synthesize green methanol. This methanol is subsequently converted into starch through oxidation, polymerization, and other processes. Compared with the solar energy utilization efficiency of about 2% in traditional natural photosynthesis, this pathway can raise efficiency to 7–10%. Calculations show that deploying PV on just 3.7% of the Sahara Desert could generate 26 trillion kWh of green electricity, enough to synthesize 3 billion tonnes of food and meet the current global food demand.

Pathway 2: PV-driven "energy-water-food" nexus system. By building PV power plants in desert areas, the shading effect of PV modules reduces soil moisture evaporation, improves the soil microclimate, and lowers irrigation requirements. Combined with PV-powered seawater desalination and inter-regional water transfer projects, this approach can gradually transform desert land that was previously unsuitable for cultivation into arable farmland.

In fact, LONGi has already been actively exploring this approach in the Kubuqi Desert in Inner Mongolia, China – generating electricity on the panels, planting crops under the panels, and raising livestock between the panel rows. Under the PV panels, the once barren land is being revitalized. This practice verifies the feasibility of integrated PV-ecology-agriculture development and provides a replicable Chinese solution for the coordinated development of ecological restoration and food production in desertification-prone areas.

The theme of this year's COP17 is "Restoring Land, Restoring Hope." LONGi actively participated in multiple side events, engaging in in-depth exchanges with government agencies, scientists, and corporate representatives from around the world, and sharing Chinese experience in the deep integration of PV with desertification control and ecological restoration.

From cutting-edge laboratory exploration to on-the-ground validation in deserts, PV is evolving from an energy solution into a cornerstone of sustainable development. Looking ahead, LONGi will leverage Solar (PV)-plus-Storage technologies to actively address climate change, continue to promote the deep integration of PV with ecology, agriculture, water resources and other fields, build a more resilient global sustainable development system, and ensure that more affordable, safer, and more accessible green energy truly benefits everyone.

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In Sachsen bleiben trotz anhaltend hoher Nachfrage nach qualifizierten Fachkräften mehr als 8.000 Lehrstellen unbesetzt. Besonders das Handwerk und technische Berufe stehen unter Druck, geeigneten Nachwuchs zu finden. Das sächsische Wirtschaftsministerium reagiert mit einer Offensive für Ausbildung und Qualifikation und nimmt dabei gezielt das Handwerk in den Blick.

„Eine gute Ausbildung eröffnet jungen Menschen hervorragende Perspektiven. Gerade in Zeiten von Digitalisierung und Künstlicher Intelligenz bleibt klar: Viele Leistungen im Handwerk lassen sich nicht einfach automatisieren“, sagte Wirtschaftsminister Dirk Panter (SPD) der Deutschen Presse-Agentur. Künstliche Intelligenz könne weder Kabelbäume binden noch Gebäudetechnik installieren oder Industrieanlagen warten, betonte der Minister. Ziel sei es, für angehende Fachkräfte die „besten Bedingungen für Ausbildung und Aufstieg“ im Freistaat zu schaffen.

Allein im Handwerk wird in Sachsen in rund 130 Berufen ausgebildet. Der Bedarf ist groß, insbesondere in technischen und handwerklichen Bereichen. „Wer dort einsteigt, kann großartig Karriere machen“, wirbt Jörg Dittrich, Präsident des Zentralverbandes des Deutschen Handwerks. Unternehmen im Freistaat melden seit Jahren einen wachsenden Bedarf an qualifizierten Kräften – zugleich bleibt ein erheblicher Teil der angebotenen Lehrstellen unbesetzt.

Politik und Handwerk wollen deshalb auch früher ansetzen und die Berufsorientierung an Schulen stärken. Dittrich berät dazu gemeinsam mit der Chemnitzer Fleischermeisterin und Bundestagsabgeordneten Nora Seitz (CDU) sowie Sachsens Kultusminister Conrad Clemens (CDU), wie Jugendliche stärker für eine berufliche Laufbahn im Handwerk gewonnen werden können. Wirtschaftsminister Panter will sich zudem vor Ort ein Bild von moderner Ausbildung und Aufstiegschancen machen – unter anderem im Zentrum für Aus- und Weiterbildung Leipzig und beim Handwerksunternehmen Elektro-Anlagenbau Rübner GmbH & Co. KG.