UNEP to boost a green Belt and Road Initiative

United Nations Environment Programme has agreed with several governments and organizations to make sure that the Belt and Road Initiative becomes green, said Erik Solheim, executive director of UNEP, at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation on May 14 in Beijing.

"Going green means a silk road with wind and solar, not with coal," he said. "It also means a silk road of green finance rather than old-fashioned one."

Solheim pointed out that the price of the wind and solar power has come at the same price as the coal energy, leaving no excuses for corporations not using the clean ones.

UNEP will also work on the promotion of green tourism, focusing on the protection of local ecosystem and historical sites.

Solheim said the programmes needs to work with governments when asked about how UNEP would do to protect the environment during the infrastructure construction of the Initiative

In the meantime, since the Initiative is about people-to-people communication, UNEP will also cooperate with civil organizations as well as individual citizen.

"Now we are in process ofmaking sure that every investment in the railroad (is green)," Solheim commented on the progress of working with Chinese government. "And you [China] will make bypasses so that wildlife can pass and not destroying the nature."

Also, UNEP will pay attention to China's investing the new energy which is everywhere along the new Silk Road.

At the end of the day, Solheim hoped that people would for sure develop while protecting the environment, instead of only considering one aspect at a time.

Contact the writer at liuxuan@chinadaily.com