China’s Green Leadership

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“The Belt and Road” Initiative (BRI) is an important partnership initiative to deepen cooperation and share prosperity among China and all countries along the route. It is also an essential opportunity for China to achieve energy transformation and low carbon development, as well as improving and exerting its green leadership. Therefore, we collaborated with several institutions and established “The Belt and Road” Green Development Cooperation Partnership. We are committed to conducting concrete research, facilitating exchanges and cooperation to provide constructive policy recommendations, and suggesting ideas on green development strategies of BRI.

In September 2016, the G20 summit in Hangzhou, China, brought green development to new heights. "The Belt and Road" strategic concept proposed by President Xi Jinping drew much attention and positive responses from the international community. The initiative proves that China's reform opens the nation to new foreign investments, and emerges itself onto a new stage. It is also an important attempt for China to actively participate in global economic, social and environmental governance and enhance its institutional discourse and leadership. As China's "13th Five-Year Plan" is issued and implemented, steadily promoting “The Belt and Road" construction cooperation will be one of the top five priorities in the next five years with constructing ecological civilization, comprehensively improving environmental quality and people's health, while achieving a moderately prosperous society. 

 

“The Belt and Road “Initiative requires cooperation among countries along Belt and Road regions and the international community, "Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road” clearly states that the Initiative is open for cooperation and it covers, but is not limited to, the area of the ancient Silk Road, and all countries, international, and regional organizations for engagement to promote interconnection. Especially those along the Belt and Road region in policy, infrastructure, economy and trade, finance, investment and culture, will need to carry out broader and more in-depth regional cooperation of higher standards in order to create an open, inclusive, balanced and shared regional economic cooperation architecture that benefit all . "Vision and Action" also pointed out that ecological civilization should be highlighted in developing the “One Belt and One Road”, and cooperation on eco-environment, biodiversity, energy transformation and climate change should be strengthened to build a green silk road together within the international community.

 

“The Belt and Road Initiative" involves more than 60 countries with 4.4 billion people, and will therefore have a significant impact on global investment, trade, production, economic development, energy and resource use, ecological and environmental protection as well as a response to climate change. At the same time, it will bring more opportunities and challenges to global governance. The goal, content and path of "The Belt and Road Initiative" are consistent with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Therefore, it will be one of the most important platforms for the international community to work together towards for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the overall objectives of the Paris Agreement. Promoting “The Belt and Road Initiative” provides China with a significant opportunity to increase openness of the economy, and it is of strategic importance for China to deepen cooperation and seek common prosperity with countries involved. It is also an important strategic plan for China to carry out energy transformation and low-carbon development, and to give full play to its green leadership.

 

Based on this, “The Belt and Road” Green Development Cooperation Partnership is established with and sponsored collaboratively by Oxfam, the Heinrich Boll Foundation of China, the Energy Foundation of China, the World Wide Fund for Nature, the Paradise International Foundation, SEE Ecological Association, the Global Environment Institute and World Resources Institute as well as the Natural Resources Conservation Association (NRDC). The partnerships were officially launched on September 21, 2016, which works on a voluntary basis with all parties fully engaged in seeking cooperation among industries and business circles. It aims to build a partnership platform to bring together efforts from all parties in providing forward-looking, high-quality and multi-perspective research achievements and suggestions to “The Belt and Road” green planning. Aiming to achieve 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement Goal, the platform focuses on addressing climate change, ecological and environmental protection, energy transformation and industrial cooperation, green finance innovation, and the exchange and cooperation of civil societies to promote " The Belt and Road "green development within the international community, which will help China to enhance its leadership in global green governance.