(People’s Daily/GSF) – Chinese and Pakistani officials and climate experts called for stronger cooperation on green investment, technology and climate resilience on Thursday as a policy seminar in Islamabad explored aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with climate prosperity plans.
The seminar, “Shared Future, Shared Prosperity – From Alignment to Amplification: Belt and Road Initiative and Climate Prosperity Plans,” was organized by the Climate Vulnerable Forum-Vulnerable Twenty Group Secretariat and the Institute of Regional Studies, bringing together government officials, diplomats, climate experts and business representatives.
Shi Yuanqiang, charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, said the green Silk Road provides an important platform for China and other developing countries to deepen climate cooperation.
China has signed 56 climate cooperation documents with 43 developing countries, organized more than 300 training programs on South-South climate cooperation and trained over 10,000 professionals in the field, he said.
Shi pointed to opportunities in Pakistan specifically. The Pakistan Climate Prosperity Plan has identified 69 bankable, climate-aligned projects covering areas including hydropower and solar energy, he said, offering openings for Chinese and other international enterprises to take part in Pakistan’s green transition.
Romina Khurshid Alam, coordinator to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on climate change and environmental coordination, highlighted the Pakistan Climate Prosperity Plan and stressed the importance of implementation-focused strategies, technology transfer, knowledge sharing and joint investment. Stronger Pakistan-China cooperation in renewable energy, disaster-risk financing and related areas, she said, could help address shared climate challenges while supporting economic growth and advancing climate justice for vulnerable countries.
Syed Ali Asad Gillani, additional secretary (Asia Pacific) of Pakistani foreign ministry and Pakistan’s ambassador-designate to China, said the Belt and Road Initiative was entering a “smarter, more deliberate” phase, with greater emphasis on greener projects and people’s livelihoods.
Pakistan already has a strong foundation through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, he said, and future cooperation could give the corridor greater green and climate-resilient content.
Gillani said he and his team in Beijing would work to facilitate cooperation and help translate agreements and memorandums of understanding into concrete outcomes.
Participants also discussed carrying the cooperation forward to the China International Fair for Trade in Services 2026, exploring ways to connect policy dialogue with practical investment, project development and longer-term partnerships.