“Green is becoming a distinctive background for jointly building the Belt and Road.” On October 18, 2025, Sun Jinlong, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said at the “Belt and Road” Green Innovation Conference.

Regarding the high-quality promotion of the green "Belt and Road" construction, Sun Jinlong suggested that we should gather synergy for development and create new results of green "Belt and Road" cooperation. Focus on climate change, biodiversity loss, plastic pollution, etc., further strengthen dialogue and exchanges to jointly respond to global environmental crises. Respond to the actual needs of developing countries in terms of technology and capacity building, continue to expand cooperation in clean equipment, green technology, marine development and other fields, support green technology research and development and the application of advanced green technology, and promote the formation of more replicable and promoteable practical results.

Expand investment and financing channels and enhance the vitality of the green “Belt and Road” sustainable development. Promote the construction of a more open, transparent, and inclusive green investment and financing system, form a green development-oriented development model and investment and financing mechanism, continuously enrich financial products and tools, further optimize the rational allocation of resources along the “Belt and Road”, stimulate the enthusiasm of all sectors of society to participate in the construction of the Green Silk Road, and create a multi-level and diversified new pattern of green investment and financing.

Improve the support and guarantee system and continue to improve the level of environmental governance along the Belt and Road Initiative. Accelerate the establishment of international alliances for green development along the Belt and Road, and scientifically formulate medium- and long-term development plans for the green Belt and Road. Continue to improve the “Belt and Road” ecological and environmental protection big data service platform, and strengthen research on ecological and environmental protection laws, regulations and internationally accepted rules. Implement the Green Silk Road Envoy Plan, strengthen interactive exchanges among environmental management personnel in jointly building countries, and increase talent support for the green development of the “Belt and Road” initiative.

Since the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” initiative was proposed more than ten years ago, a closer green development partnership has been established. Sun Jinlong introduced that so far, China has signed more than 200 cooperation documents on the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" with more than 150 countries and more than 30 international organizations, all of which regard the joint construction of the Green Silk Road as an important content. We have united 31 countries to jointly launch the “Belt and Road” green development partnership initiative; we have jointly launched and established the “Belt and Road” Green Development International Alliance with 43 countries and more than 170 Chinese and foreign partners, and continue to build a platform for policy dialogue and communication, an environmental knowledge and information platform, and a green technology exchange and transfer platform. The “circle of friends” for green “Belt and Road” international cooperation is getting bigger and bigger.

During this period, China developed and implemented small but beautiful projects such as the "African Light Belt" to help solve the lighting problem of more than 50,000 households in Africa without electricity. In the desert of the United Arab Emirates, the average annual power generation of photovoltaic power stations built by Chinese companies can meet the electricity needs of 200,000 households, reducing carbon emissions by an average of 2.4 million tons annually. In Egypt, the central business district project undertaken by a Chinese company has adopted a number of energy-saving and environmentally friendly measures in project planning, architectural design, construction and other aspects. Once put into use, it will become the first net-zero carbon building in the Middle East and North Africa.

In terms of improving the country's environmental governance capabilities, China has implemented the Green Silk Road Envoy Program and the "One Belt, One Road" South-South Cooperation Plan to address climate change, providing and mobilizing 177 billion yuan in project funds to support developing countries in coping with climate change. The Kunming Biodiversity Fund established with funding has been officially put into operation, and the first nine projects supported have benefited 15 developing countries. It has signed cooperation and assistance agreements on climate change with 42 co-building countries and implemented more than 70 assistance projects of various types.