The Belt and Road Green Innovation Conference convened in Beijing on October 18th, under the theme "Driving Green Development Together". The event aimed to build global consensus on green development and promote deep integration between green financing and green transformation. Sun Jinlong, Minister of Ecology and Environment, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. Representatives including Eang Sophalleth, Minister of Environment of Cambodia; Ibrahim Mimrah, State Minister of Tourism and Environment of Maldives; and Shezra Halal, State Minister of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination of Pakistan, delivered addresses. Xin Baoan, Chairman of Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) and Chairman of China Electricity Council (CEC), attended and addressed the opening ceremony.
Xin Baoan noted that the world today faces severe challenges in achieving sustainable development due to climate, environmental, and resource constraints. He emphasized that accelerating green innovation and energy transition is the fundamental solution to these challenges.
Xin pointed out that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) covers nearly 80% of the world’s countries. These regions are rich in clean energy resources, possess vast markets, have high energy demand, and demonstrate great development potential. He called for efforts to accelerate green and innovative development tailored to local conditions, and to jointly build the Global Energy Interconnection (GEI). This would promote cleaner energy production, electrified consumption, network-based energy allocation, and digital and intelligent operation—providing sufficient, affordable, safe, and efficient green energy to support economic and social progress, and injecting strong momentum into the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Xin stressed that the Global Energy Interconnection—characterized by its broad reach, long industrial chain, and strong driving force—will foster a new win-win model for green and low-carbon energy transition, creating broad development opportunities for all countries. He added that to accelerate GEI development and advance high-quality Belt and Road energy cooperation, efforts should be coordinated in three key areas: infrastructure, technological and industrial innovation, and policy mechanisms. Power interconnection will promote clean energy development; technological and industrial innovation will boost green growth; and policy coordination will deepen cooperation on green energy.
The conference was hosted by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and organized by the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition and the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center of the Ministry. With the theme "Driving Green Development Together", the event highlighted the achievements of the Green Silk Road, provided a platform for cooperation on green finance, low-carbon development, and technological innovation, and promoted the matching of green industries and technologies. Nearly 300 participants from 39 countries attended the conference.