Press Release – December 16, 2024

Baoting, Hainan, 16 December 2024 – A new initiative to pilot innovative approaches to low-carbon development in Hainan’s Baoting County was signed off on during the Implementation and Action: Climate and Health International Conference.

As a partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Baoting county, the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), and Shenzhen Honghai Clean Technology Research Institute, the project will aim to advance sustainable development in the China-EU (Baoting) Green and Digital Innovation Zone, and explore solutions for strengthening climate-resilience in island and coastal areas and regions.

It will also look at strategies to guide financial frameworks that can help direct greater funding towards low-carbon transformation and China’s 2030/2060 dual carbon goals.

The project comes on the heels of the UN COP29 climate summit where countries around the world discussed raising ambition levels to tackle the climate crisis, and agreed to an increased target of $300 billion per year provided to developing countries by 2035.

Prior to the signing ceremony, UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner delivered remarks through a pre-recorded video. “This initiative not only aligns with China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, but also exemplifies a green development and resilience-building model that can serve as a blueprint for small island developing states (SIDS) and beyond,” said Mr. Steiner.

Among the signatories for the project were Beate Trankmann, UNDP Resident Representative in China, and Zhang Yi, Deputy Director-General of CICETE. The signing was witnessed by senior officials including Feng Fei, Party Secretary of Hainan Province, Xie Zhenhua, China’s former Special Envoy on Climate Change, and Zheng Xinli, Former Deputy Director of the Policy Research Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

“Taking climate and health as the starting point, the establishment of Baoting Cooperation zone is of great significance and practical basis for demonstration in innovative models of sustainable development, green and low-carbon energy transformation, harmonization and mutual recognition of carbon footprint standards between China and the world, as well as innovative development models and mechanisms of sustainable finance,” said Mr. Xie.

Source : UNDP