by Raheela Nazir
ISLAMABAD, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Promoting green development under the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will boost global efforts to mitigate climate change and achieve sustainable development goals, Pakistani experts said on Thursday.
The green BRI aims to promote sustainable development and environmental protection among the initiative partners, with a special emphasis laid on green and low carbon development, renewable energy and climate change mitigation, said officials and scholars at a webinar on green BRI organized by the Asian Institute of Eco-Civilization Research and Development, an Islamabad-based think tank.
Speaking on the occasion, Zulfiqar Ali, director of the Board of Investment of Pakistan, said that the efforts to encourage green infrastructure, energy, and transportation under the framework of the green BRI will create a more sustainable, environmentally friendly future.
"The green BRI focuses on the development and deployment of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro and geothermal power. This includes investments in renewable energy infrastructure, research and development, and capacity building to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and promote clean energy solutions," said Ali.
It involves sustainable infrastructure projects expected to incorporate energy-efficient and environmentally friendly designs, materials and technologies, the official said, adding that it also promotes knowledge sharing and capacity building among participating countries.
The BRI flagship project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has promoted Pakistan's green and low-carbon sustainable development, said Bushra Yasmin, senior professor at Department of Economics of the Rawalpindi-based Fatima Jinnah Women University.
She said that China has helped Pakistan build its road infrastructure and overcome the severe energy crisis by constructing hydropower and solar power plants under the CPEC's framework.
Yasmin believes that Pakistan has a lot to learn from China in terms of implementing the new concept of green development as well as promoting low-carbon energy transition and technological innovation at home and abroad.
At the webinar, Pang Xiao, deputy senior specialist at Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition, said that China has been promoting green development with the vision of building a community with a shared future.
China has actively participated in global environmental governance and implemented environment-related conventions while upholding true multilateralism to promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation, the scholar said, adding that in this regard, China has established partnerships with countries and international organizations through multiple cooperation programs on eco-environmental protection. ■
