Recently, the sub-forum on “Shale Gas and Ecological Environment” of the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Guiyang International Forum on Ecological Civilization was held in Guiyang. At the forum, more than 50 experts from home and abroad, specializing in shale gas exploration and development as well as ecological environmental protection, shared their views on topics including: shale gas exploration and development and groundwater contamination; greenhouse gas leakage; freshwater resource consumption and terrestrial ecosystem impacts; the controllability of shale gas development technologies and their environmental impacts; the challenges posed by shale gas to water resources; technological innovations for enhancing the safety of shale gas development and reducing its environmental footprint; and environmental regulation of shale gas exploration and utilization.

　　Najidin Meshkati, a professor at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Southern California in the United States, is a well-known expert in U.S. research on shale gas exploration and development. He recommends mitigating potential risks through measures such as safe design, equipment inspection, technical capability assessment, risk assessment, mechanical integrity testing, evaluation of contractor performance, worker training and management, fatigue management, and fostering a safety culture.

　　Robert Swyry, Executive Director of U.S. JCX Energy, recommends establishing and improving an international cooperation and exchange mechanism for shale gas, strengthening international collaboration in shale gas development, exploring and innovating core technologies for shale gas exploitation, laying a solid foundation for shale gas development, and ensuring sustainable development of the ecological environment.

　　This forum has produced the “Shale Gas and Ecological Environment Forum Initiative,” which calls for accelerating the exploration and development of shale gas and promoting energy conservation and emission reduction. It also advocates strengthening technological breakthroughs and enhancing scientific and technological capabilities. By focusing on the international cutting edge, we should speed up the cultivation of specialized talent, conduct basic research targeting key scientific challenges, accelerate the innovation of new processes and technologies in oil and gas development, foster strategic emerging industries, transform the energy landscape, and create a new driving force for global economic growth. We must strengthen cooperation among regions in areas such as technology and resource sharing, actively explore interdisciplinary collaboration, and bring together policymakers, the scientific community, and stakeholder groups to pool our best scientific and technological strengths and achieve breakthroughs in shale gas drilling and fracturing technologies. Furthermore, we need to reinforce the establishment of performance-based standards and guidelines, and lead the way toward the regularized oversight of safety, health, and ecological environment in shale gas exploration and development. We should share successful experiences from governments and enterprises at all levels and in various regions regarding shale gas exploration and development, and guide the wider adoption of new technologies, management models, and strategic implementations to drive innovation in unconventional gas utilization.