On March 25, the BRI International Green Development Coalition (BRIGC) held its Second Council Meeting of the BRIGC Governing Board in Beijing. Mr. Zhao Yingmin, Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment of China (MEE) attended the meeting and gave an opening remark. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Guo Jing, President of BRIGC, and video remarks were given by Ms. Kate Hampton, Vice President of BRIGC Governing Board, Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), and Mr. Erik Solheim, Vice President of BRIGC Governing Board, Senior Advisor of World Resources Institute (WRI). It was joined via hybrid form by Member Organizations of BRIGC Governing Board including Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, Shenzhen Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center of MEE, CIFF, World Resources Institute, Nature Positive Initiative, ClientEarth, China Quality Certification Center and Tanoto Foundation, as well as BRIGC partner representatives from Energy Foundation China, Sequoia Climate Foundation and Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Mr. Zhao Yingmin pointed out that the development of the Green Silk Road is an important measure to implement the concept of green development and promote global ecological civilization. It is also an important platform that supports the high-quality development of BRI. BRIGC is expected to be a window to display the progress of Green Silk Road and a platform for international cooperation. It is necessary to strengthen exchanges and dialogues in various forms that involve stakeholders from multi-level departments and across different sectors, establish a closer cooperation network, thus contributing China’s wisdom and solutions to the green and low-carbon transition.

Mr. Guo Jing noted that BRIGC has successfully registered as the first international organization under the framework of Green Silk Road in 2023. It supported MEE in hosting the High-Level Forum on Green Development at the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and facilitated the formation of a series of cooperation outcomes, including the Beijing Initiative for Belt and Road Green Development and the Green Investment and Finance Partnership (GIFP). In the future, BRIGC will continue to play an exemplary role as an international platform, put more "small and beautiful" green and low-carbon projects in place in Belt and Road partner countries, help strengthen their intrinsic motivation and capacity in green development, and continue to contribute China's strength to global environmental governance.

Ms. Kate Hampton suggested that BRIGC should play a more active role to share the best practices of green development and make its voice heard internationally. It should also tap the potential of GIFP to promote the implementation of cooperation outcomes with Belt and Road partner countries, and analyze the opportunities and challenges of BRI cooperation in the new context of international landscape.

Mr. Erik Solheim highly recognized BRIGC’s achievements in the past year and advised to strengthen the green development partnership, implement relevant activities in accordance with the long-term development plan of renewable energy of Belt and Road partner countries, and enhance international communications by taking advantages of its partners, in an effort to share China’s achievements in building green BRI.

Members of BRIGC Governing Board highly recognized the achievements of the Green Silk Road and congratulated BRIGC for a fruitful year of 2023. As the first international organization in the field of green BRI, BRIGC has actively carried out exchanges and dialogues, conducted joint researches, capacity building, and industrial cooperation through GIFP and other green development initiatives. These efforts have provided strong technical support to the Chinese government in the green BRI related decision making, and greatly contributed to promoting green transition of Belt and Road partner countries. Members of BRIGC Governing Board expressed their readiness to continue the support of the joint development of the Green Silk Road, give play to their respective professional advantages to build an international cooperation platform for green development, and firmly support BRIGC to play a more important role in the new era.

The meeting also reported to the Governing Board the 2023 work progress and 2024 work plan of BRIGC.