Former UN Undersecretary General: BRI Is A Fantastic Vehicle for Green Development | Insights

Editor's Notes: China spares no effort in promoting green development and harmony between man and nature. In the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping reiterated that nature is the basic condition for humanity's survival. Respecting and protecting nature is essential for building a modern socialist country in an all-around way. We must firmly establish and practice the concept that lucid waters and lush mountains are as valuable as gold and silver.

"The Belt and Road Initiative is a fantastic vehicle for green development"

 – Erik Solheim

Chongqing - Over the past ten years, China has made significant achievements in ecological civilization despite difficulties and challenges. Recently, Mr. Solheim opened up on climate change issues, BRI, and positive changes brought by China's construction of ecological civilization during an interview with iChongqing.

Erik Solheim served in the Norwegian government from 2005 to 2012 as Minister of International Development and Minister of the Environment. Following an extensive career focusing on environment and development in government and international organizations, Erik Solheim was Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme between 2016 and 2018. Mr. Solheim emphasized multilateral cooperation and the "win-win" approach to green development and focused on the worldwide influence of BRI and China's green policies.

"Fighting climate change is in the interest of everyone"

Last year, the world's largest iceberg, about eight times the size of New York, melted completely. Scientists said such a process was generally expected to take decades. As climate change is getting more and more intense, the world suffers various extreme weather with increased intensity and frequency. Based on the current situation, Solheim said it's evident that current pledges made by countries under the Paris Agreement are far from enough to bring down global emissions. Governments must reach a consensus that "fighting climate change is in the interest of everyone" and take more ambitious actions to address climate change. And to do so, "the key is to understand that this (fighting climate change) is a win-win proposition," he stressed.

"We can benefit economically from growing green"

In Solheim's view, "we can benefit economically from growing green." Going green is not a cost to businesses. Instead, it's a huge opportunity for creating better jobs, more profits, and better businesses and markets. For the first time in human history, countries have win-win policies for the environment as enormous opportunities come with combining the economy and ecology. Mr. Solheim illustrated this view by taking China as an example. He pointed out that 80% of solar panels in the world are made in China, and 50% of all the batteries installed on electric cars worldwide are produced by CATL, a global leader in lithium-ion battery development and manufacturing in China. Such companies are critical for the Green Revolution. They not only saw enormous opportunities to create jobs but also, at the same time, worked for the greater good and Mother Earth. Solheim believes that's why Chinese President Xi Jinping has made the slogan "Green is gold."

"China's BRI is a recipe for sustainable development"

Solheim singled out the Belt and Road Initiative as a fantastic vehicle for green investments worldwide regarding the most successful government-supported project in green development. He thought that Belt and Road initiative was going green at high speed and that countries should grab all opportunities brought about by this mega project.

Not long ago, Solheim said he even wrote an article on BRI, calling BRI "a recipe for sustainable development." In this article, according to the Chinese government's newly issued new green guidelines for the Belt and Road Initiative, he believed that the Belt and Road would be built on the highest Chinese and global environmental standards. Chinese investors generally abide by local laws in their business practice. Since the new guidelines require higher standards when applicable, low standards in some developing countries will be replaced with more environmentally friendly policies. This also resolves a longstanding concern from Western companies that competitions with Chinese companies were unfair. With the new guidelines issued, now the playing field was leveled.

"The most impressive is China's determination to change so fast"

From China's development to BRI, Solheim admired China for the country's resolve. "The most impressive is the determination to change so fast," he said. According to Bloomberg, China has reduced air pollution nearly as much in seven years as the US did in three decades. "The speed and determination are incredible," he marveled.

He also laid out another perspective on BRI, citing the Silk Road. Like the Silk Road, BRI was not only about trade but also about exchanging ideas and people-to-people communication. Solheim recalled that during the Tang dynasty, some of the great emperors of China brought in the best people, such as Christian preachers, Muslim leaders, and Buddhists, to Xi'an, the capital of China, to listen to their ideas.

In the meantime, Solheim said that "we need to exchange technologies. We need to exchange best practices." In Indonesia, China has succeeded in setting up the Bandung-Jakarta high-speed railway. In Laos, the China-Laos railway opened to traffic last year. And in Africa, China has built incredibly important connections for African countries, for example, from Djibouti to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. China brought everyone on board through these investments and made the green transitions smoother.

"Chongqing is prime for contributing to Chinese development"

When the topic was shifted to the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), Solheim thought it was another example that showcased China's resolve to change and would serve as an indispensable link that would benefit the rest of the world. Due to Chongqing's advantageous location, "Chongqing is prime for contributing to Chinese developments," Solheim commented. He saw great potential in this city as he forecasted that the ASEAN economy would be one of the biggest economies in the 21st century, and China would become the world's No.1 trade partner. Chongqing, which is "linked to the north, to Beijing, linked to Sichuan, and of course, linked to the Yangtze River and just above the Three Gorges, will become one of the most vibrant cities and economies in China…... It's my pleasure to be related to Chongqing, the great city with an enormously positive future."