By Guo Yiming
BRI, contributor to sustainable development
Statistics show that the majority of global infrastructure investment could be happening in Belt and Road countries, encouraging a greater focus on how this can be channeled into a cleaner environment, according to Ma Jun, chairman of Green Finance Committee of the China Society for Finance and Banking and former chief economist of People's Bank of China.
"Green and low-carbon investment greatly hinges on whether we can reach the goals of the Paris Agreement," said Ma.
With global partnership and wide participation, the Belt and Road will definitely become the largest platform for green and sustainable development, Ma forecast.
As the Belt and Road Initiative moves from a blueprint to a detailed roadmap, Chinese and global companies are being encouraged to contribute to green development along the routes.
"We believe the BRI not only serves as a platform for exporting products, but is also an opportunity for Chinese companies to share their advanced technology and valuable experiences with their counterparts along the Belt and Road," said Dany Qian, global vice president of Jinko Solar, the world's largest solar panel manufacturer now investing heavily in the Belt and Road market.
As a company in the clean energy sector, our goal is to make solar power more accessible and affordable in the countries along the Belt and Road, and help contribute to their energy transition and economic development, Qian said.
Zhao Yingmin, vice head of the Ecology and Environment Ministry, said the Chinese authorities attached much importance to cooperation and the capacity building mechanism with Belt and Road countries.
"Since the launch of the Green Silk Road Envoys Program, China has helped train 2,000 environmental officials from the BRI countries, and another 1,500 more officials are expected to receive training in the next three years," Zhao said.
He said China would also launch a south-south cooperation project on climate change with BRI countries to increase their capacity to address the global warming issue.
