China’s pledge on green development under the Belt and Road hailed by experts

China has renewed its vow to promote green development as the nation joins hands with the world to develop under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, which is widely hailed by experts.

China will work with other parties to promote a coalition of sustainable cities and an international coalition for green development under the Belt and Road Initiative, President Xi Jinping said in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation in Beijing on Friday.

Addressing the opening ceremony, UN Secretary-General António Guterres also spoke highly of China’s contribution to green and sustainable development proposed under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework.

“We are looking forward for strengthened ties between China and other countries under the BRI framework, especially in regards to green development. China, as such a large consumption power, will cast great impact on the global market to help it become greener if the nation’s regulations and laws could be successfully implemented,” Zou Ji, president of Energy Foundation China, also an NGO representative to this year’s BRF, told People’s Daily Overseas Social Media on the sidelines of the BRF.

At a Thursday BRF forum, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, brought up another proposal to improve the efficiency of air conditioning, specifically in response to climate change.