On 20 August 2023, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Green Innovation Conference (2023) was held in Shenzhen, with the main theme of “High-quality Development Promoting the Construction of the Green Belt and Road Initiative.” The conference was organized by the Belt and Road Environmental Technology Exchange and Transfer Center (Shenzhen), and sponsored by the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the BRI International Green Development Coalition, the Ecology Environment Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, and the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences. Nearly 200 participants and delegates from the above organizations attended the event, during which the Blue Book of Belt and Road Environmental Policies, Regulations, and Standards was officially released to the public.
The Blue Book, which focuses on renewable energy, provides a detailed introduction of more than 110 environmental policies, regulations and standards; it also offers case studies and analytical studies of key actors in the field, including Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Brazil, and United Arab Emirates (UAE), illustrating their overall national profile and especially their environmental policies, regulations, standards, green technology, trade and investment, and renewable energy priorities. The main argument of the Blue Book is that the cooperation over the topics in the following appears the most feasible and have the highest potential:
- Nigeria: solar photovoltaic power generation
- Kenya: wind power
- Ethiopia: wind power and solar power generation
- Brazil: hydropower, wind power and solar power generation
- UAE: solar power generation
Foreign stakeholders may refer to the Blue Book to understand China’s views as well as investment priorities and directions in these fields and with these key partner countries, and possibly identify development and cooperation opportunities.
