Full text: Remarks at the Asia and Pacific High-level Conference on Belt and Road Cooperation by Erik Solheim

On June 23, 2021, the Asia and Pacific High-level Conference on Belt and Road Cooperation was held via video. Mr. Erik Solheim, Convener of the Advisory Committee of BRI International Green Development Coalition (BRIGC) was invited to attend and speak at the conference. Solheim's remarks are as follows:

Dear friends!

I believe we have a once in a generation chance to get it right. The old model of development – first we pollute, then we clean up - is outdated. It belongs to the 20th century. 

The new model is about win-win policies. We can even have triple wins when we design policies which are good for Mother Earth and the environment, for people and livelihoods, for jobs and prosperity all at the same time. Economy and Ecology come together.

We see this happening now in all the major economies of the World. It's time for optimism!

In order to succeed we need to cooperate. I fully share the view of the previous speaker the distinguished Singaporean diplomat and thinker Kishore Mahbubani that we need to avoid the traps of bad geopolitics.

Let's jointly defeat everyone who wants to take us back to the Cold War. Let's defeat the idea that we can decouple our economies.

There is no nation in the world which wants to choose between the United States and China. We all want to be friends of both these great countries.

Divided we will be weak. Working together – the sky is the limit.

Belt and Road Initiative is a fantastic vehicle to promote the green global development we all cherish.

China today is the world leader in nearly all green technologies.

China is establishing half of all new solar energy on the planet. It is leading the world in wind energy and green hydrogen. 70% of all the world's high speed green trains are running on Chinese tracks. 99% of all electric buses are traveling on Chinese roads. There are indeed more electric buses in the city of Shenzhen alone, than in the entire world outside China combined.

Interestingly China has over the last few years also become a world leader not only in technology but in environment practice. The tree planting in Inner Mongolia is greening the world. It's even recognized by the American space agency NASA. The fishing ban in the Yangtze and the cleaning of rivers in Zhejiang through the river chief system is world class green practice. So is the development of green cities like Hangzhou and Suzhou.

Belt and Road Initiative can help the world learn from China. But for sure – China can also learn from all the other nations around the table here today.

Finally I want to invite you to join the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition and Institute.

The green Belt and Road work is set up to help phase out coal investments, replacing them with major investments in solar and wind. We also want to work on greening the great infrastructure corridors like the China-Pakistan Corridor and the construction of railroads in Africa, to make sure sufficient attention is paid to wildlife and nature. Another area of work is on supply chains to protect rain forests and other pristine ecosystems. China with its huge middle class is on top of many global supply chains. The Green Belt and Road Coalition is establishing a traffic light system to inform Chinese foreign investment in a green direction. We are working with recipient countries to drive good green investments.

I invite you all to join us in this exciting work! Let's together create an ecological civilization for the 21st century. 

Green is gold!