Beijing, Oct 23: Pakistan and China have taken a significant step toward deepening cooperation on climate action and sustainable development with the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Green Development, aimed at promoting the greening of the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The MoU was signed in Beijing between the Pakistan-China Institute (PCI) and the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition (BRIGC), making PCI the first Pakistani institution to enter into such an agreement with the Chinese green development platform.
Under the agreement, both sides will collaborate to advance China–Pakistan cooperation on environment and climate change in support of green and low-carbon development under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The partnership will focus on joint research, policy dialogue, stakeholder consultations, and high-level recommendations related to renewable energy, low-carbon transport, climate-resilient infrastructure, and other strategic green development priorities in Pakistan and other BRI partner countries.
From the Pakistani side, the MoU was signed by Mustafa Hyder Sayed, Executive Director of PCI, while Chen Gang, Secretary General of BRIGC, signed on behalf of the Chinese side.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Dr Shezra Mansab Ali Kharal, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Climate Change, and Zhao Yingmin, former Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
Speaking to the media, Mustafa Hyder Sayed described the timing of the MoU as highly significant, noting that it comes on the eve of the upcoming global climate conference, COP-30, in Brazil. He said the agreement reflects international recognition of PCI’s role in advancing green development in Pakistan, particularly in relation to CPEC.
“Since CPEC is the flagship project of the BRI, this initiative will be a major boost for the green transformation of CPEC, especially as it enters its second phase,” he said, adding that the MoU would help align Pakistan-China cooperation with global climate goals and low-carbon development pathways.
The agreement is expected to strengthen institutional collaboration between Pakistan and China on sustainable development and reinforce commitments to environmentally responsible growth under the BRI framework.