Idiom reading｜Enhance the “green content” of cooperation and enhance the “gold content” of development

In an insightful conversation about international cooperation and sustainable development, we explore the recent significant speech by President Xi Jinping during the 16th BRICS summit held in Kazan, Russia, on October 23. President Xi called for a new chapter in high-quality BRICS cooperation, emphasizing the importance of constructing a “green BRICS” and becoming practitioners of sustainable development.

He highlighted China’s willingness to collaborate with BRICS nations to expand efforts in green industries, clean energy, and sustainable mining. This initiative aims to promote a comprehensive “greening” of the entire industry chain, thereby enriching the cooperative efforts and enhancing the quality of development.

“Green” has become the defining characteristic of contemporary progress. In his speech, President Xi outlined the urgency and necessity of building a “green BRICS,” urging member countries to proactively engage in the global transition towards a low-carbon economy. He provided a clear roadmap for enhancing high-quality development through collaborative green initiatives.

Interestingly, the concepts of enriching cooperation with “green value” and enhancing development with “golden value” are closely interrelated. This relationship illustrates how the actions taken by BRICS nations to foster green growth align seamlessly with the overarching goal of achieving high-quality development.

On one hand, enriching cooperation with “green value” is essential for bolstering development’s “golden value.” The summit represents a pivotal opportunity to redefine the high-quality development landscape, where shifting economic growth models becomes a necessary choice for sustainable progress. As President Xi aptly noted, a solid foundation of green development is crucial for future advancements.

Currently, the industrialization process has inflicted irreparable ecological damage on our planet. Humanity faces one of its greatest challenges in climate change, standing at a crossroads for sustainable development.

As an “integrated action team,” BRICS nations are called to pioneer a development path characterized by technological advancement, resource conservation, and ecological civilization. By enriching the cooperative “green value,” they can facilitate a green and low-carbon transformation, establishing new growth points for economic and social development that benefit both their own countries and global sustainability.

On the other hand, enhancing eventual development with “golden value” is a natural outcome of enriching cooperation’s “green value.” Green development, which seeks to maximize socio-economic benefits with minimal resource and environmental costs, has become a vital driver of global economic growth.

Now with countries rich in energy resources, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, joining the BRICS family, the ten BRICS countries together represent about 40% of the global energy landscape in oil production and reserves. Transitioning traditional energy sources to greener, low-carbon options will continually fuel high-quality economic development within BRICS nations.

President Xi’s commitment to expanding green industry, clean energy, and sustainable mining collaboration promises to yield substantial green investment and trade opportunities, unlocking significant prospects for global economic development.

As we reflect on these initiatives, it’s evident that effective cooperation among BRICS nations to combat climate change will undoubtedly enhance both “green value” and “golden value” in their partnership.

In July 2024, the 14th BRICS Ministerial Conference on Trade and Economics will build on this momentum by adopting a statement on environmental and climate-related trade measures, establishing a robust foundation for further aligning standards and cooperation in sectors such as new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar energy.

Central to these efforts is the BRICS New Development Bank, a flagship project personally championed by President Xi. In September 2024, the bank and nine other multilateral development banks announced that their financing support for global climate action reached $125 billion in the previous year.

Notable projects, such as the Redstone Project in South Africa, where Chinese enterprises have constructed a facility that will contribute approximately 480 GWh of clean electricity annually to the local grid, illustrate the real-world impact of these initiatives. Similar accomplishments in Brazil’s Camaleira wind project, which generates substantial renewable energy while creating thousands of jobs, further exemplify the benefits of cooperation.

In view of this, it becomes clear that enriching cooperation’s “green value” and enhancing development’s “golden value” are critical reflections of BRICS nations’ shared aspirations and alignment with global developmental trends.

As President Xi astutely points out, “As long as we work together, BRICS cooperation has vast potential, and the future for BRICS nations is bright.”