OVER the past decade, guided by Xi Jinping Thought, China has prioritised building an ecological civilisation as essential to the sustainable development of the Chinese nation.

Putting people first and upholding that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”, China has balanced robust economic growth with high-level environmental protection, creating a Chinese path to modernisation based on harmony between humanity and nature.

China has advanced pollution prevention and control while enhancing ecosystem diversity, stability, and sustainability. Under the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership, the country has significantly improved air and surface water quality and initially curbed soil pollution trends.

Through integrated conservation projects covering mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts, China has restored eight million hectares of land, afforested over 6.6 million hectares, and combated desertification across 336,000 km².

For Pakistan, green development and ecological governance shall never be a choice, but a must

It has also established the world’s largest national park system, protecting over 80pc of key state-protected wildlife species and habitats. With 34 World Biosphere Reserves — the most in Asia — China continues to strengthen biodiversity conservation. China is accelerating its green and low-carbon transition, steadily advancing toward carbon peak and carbon neutrality.

It is actively developing eco-friendly, smart, and resource-efficient productive forces, while improving supportive policies and standards. Preferential policies include a reduced 15pc corporate income tax rate for pollution prevention enterprises and promoting intelligent, green upgrades in traditional industries such as steel.

These efforts are generating multiplied value through initiatives like ‘ecology+’ business models, resulting in 78,000 green agricultural products and about 1,600 rural tourism villages. China has built the world’s largest renewable energy system, leading globally in installed photo-voltaic and wind capacity for ten consecutive years, with hydropower and biomass also topping the rankings. It also operates the world’s largest carbon emissions trading market, covering over 60pc of national carbon emissions.

China actively engages in global environmental and climate governance and has contributed significantly to a cleaner, more beautiful world. As the presidency, China successfully hosted COP15, leading to the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the 14th Ramsar COP, both well received internationally.

It has also fulfilled its Montreal Protocol commitments, accounting for over half of ozone-depleting substances phased out in developing countries. In 2024, China contributed nearly 64pc of the world’s new renewable capacity installations. China has helped drive down global average costs of wind and solar power by over 60pc and 80pc, respectively.

By 2035, China’s net greenhouse gas emissions are projected to drop by more than 1 billion tonnes from their peak—exceeding the combined reductions of the US and EU in the first five years after their peaks. China continues to advance international climate cooperation, providing and mobilising RMB177 billion to support developing countries.

Pakistan is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. For Pakistan, green development and ecological governance shall never be a choice, but a must. In fact, a series of green and low-carbon cooperation between China and Pakistan has brought positive changes to Pakistan.

For instance, new energy vehicles with Chinese technology are very popular in Pakistan; hydropower, wind power, photovoltaic, and core transmission grid projects constructed by China, such as the Suki Kinari Hydropower Station and Dawood Wind Power Project, have been successively put into operation, continuously providing clean and affordable electricity to local areas.

Moreover, cooperation projects such as the Pakistan Remote Sensing Satellite 01 launched by China in Xichang and the China-Pakistan Earth Science Research Center also help Pakistan enhance its capacity to address climate change. Pursuing a green and inclusive development path has increasingly become an important consensus and integral part of China-Pakistan cooperation.

Recently, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC reviewed and adopted the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the CPC for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development.

China will take the 15th Five-Year Plan as an opportunity, upholding the vision of a China-Pakistan community with a shared future and deepening green cooperation with Pakistan under the CPEC 2.0.

Through policy coordination, institutional safeguards, and project support, China will assist Pakistan in enhancing its climate resilience and explore new opportunities for green development, achieving mutual benefits and win-win outcomes.

The writer is consul general of China in Karachi

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2025