Belt and Road to go greener, more sustainable

BEIJING -- As the just-concluded third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation has charted a course toward greener and more sustainable development, the decade-old initiative is set to continue transforming the world's development landscape.

Green development and sustainability were among the hot topics at the two-day event, attended by representatives of 151 countries and 41 international organizations. A wide consensus and fruitful outcomes were reached at the forum, and the next step is result-oriented actions. There is every reason to believe the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will deliver more tangible benefits by further aligning with the development strategies of participating countries as well as the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Promoting green development is one of the eight major steps President Xi Jinping announced during the forum to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. With its experience and technology in green development, China will step up support for low-carbon transformation in BRI partner countries.

Cooperation in green infrastructure, energy and transportation is set to deepen. The BRI has seen remarkable outcomes in these areas over the past decade. An array of signature railway lines and hydro, wind and solar power plants have been completed and put into operation, helping realize the dream of developing countries to achieve green and low-carbon development. China has carried out green energy cooperation projects with more than 100 countries and regions, and its investment in green and low-carbon energy with BRI partner countries has exceeded its investment in traditional energy projects in those countries.

BRI cooperation does not purely pursue economic growth. Instead, it embraces the global trend of green and low-carbon development and promotes coordinated economic, social and eco-environmental development.

The concept of the Green Silk Road under the BRI provides an important opportunity to fast-track sustainable and climate-resilient development to protect lives and livelihoods, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Representing the right path forward, the BRI has become the most popular international public good and the largest international cooperation platform in the world today. It aims to advance modernization in participating countries in tandem, make economic globalization more dynamic, inclusive and sustainable, and ensure that more of the fruits will be shared more equitably by people across the world.

With the philosophy of open, green and clean cooperation, the goal of pursuing high-standard, people-centered and sustainable cooperation, as well as the blueprint formulated at the latest forum, the BRI will surely secure new successes through the persistent endeavors of all participating countries.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of Qiushi Journal.