BRI offers path to green development
Since its initiation, the Belt and Road Initiative has been committed to the philosophy of consultation and collaboration for shared benefits, and has won approval from a majority of the international community.
The BRI is not only a road to prosperity, but also a path to green development. At the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of promoting new philosophies of green development, leading a green, low-carbon, circular and sustainable way of production and life, enhancing cooperation in environmental protection and building an ecological civilization to achieve the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In the past five years as we worked to build on the BRI, China has upheld green development philosophies, valued the synergy with the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, pushed forward green and low-carbon construction, operation and management in infrastructure building, emphasized ecological civilization in investment and trade, and enhanced cooperation in ecology, environment, bio-diversity and addressing climate change.
These efforts have injected new impetus to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and generated new opportunities for development in BRI participating countries. Meanwhile, as the BRI becomes a global public good, it not only provides the world with tangible goods like infrastructure connectivity, but also institutional and philosophical innovations. It will help make the global system and order more equitable and just, and push countries to work together to solve issues related to the environment, climate and poverty alleviation.
China has stepped up efforts on ecological civilization and strengthened environmental protection across the board with a focus on the major tasks of fighting air and other kinds of pollution and to restructure the energy and industrial sectors. As a result, the ecological environment is making continued progress and notable achievements have been delivered in tackling climate change. While pursuing green development itself, China is also making a contribution to the world's green development with extensive and in-depth exchanges and cooperation with BRI participating countries.
China has signed nearly 50 multilateral and bilateral agreements on eco-environment cooperation with BRI participating countries and international organizations. A host of bilateral and multilateral environmental cooperation mechanisms are being strengthened on a constant basis, including those between China-Russia, China-Kazakhstan, China-Singapore, China-ASEAN, China-Arab Countries, China-CEEC, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS and the Euro-Asia Economic Forum. The Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment will join hands with partners from both China and abroad to establish the BRI International Green Development Coalition to promote cooperation and build new channels for green development.
The BRI Green Supply Chain Platform has been launched and so has the Lancang-Mekong Environment Cooperation Center. The Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment worked with the Cambodian Ministry of Environment to establish the China-Cambodia Environmental Cooperation Center, and joined hands with the Laotian Ministry of Environment to launch the China-Laos Environmental Cooperation Office. Demonstration projects for domestic wastewater treatment facilities and bio-diversity conservation were initiated. These efforts offer powerful underpinning for joint policy research, exchanges on environment standards, environment monitoring, technology transfer and IT application in environment management. In Kenya, we are preparing for the China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center, which will serve as a new platform for China-Africa cooperation, boost the upgrade of China-Africa environment collaboration, help share green development experience, strengthen environment governance capabilities and help better cope with environmental challenges. We earnestly implement the initiative made by President Xi at the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and build a big-data service platform for BRI eco-environment protection.
