António Guterres was speaking at the third international forum on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which has financed and built roads, power plants, bridges, ports and other facilities across developing countries over the past decade.
Although infrastructure “is the foundation of people’s daily lives and economies,” Mr. Guterres noted that billions in the developing world still lack access to basic systems.
Crisis and opportunity
“This infrastructure crisis comes at a time when people are facing a wide range of challenges in our efforts to promote peace, sustainable development and human rights,” he said. .
He urged leaders to “turn an infrastructure emergency into an infrastructure opportunity,” noting that 75% of the infrastructure the world will need by mid-century has not yet been built.
“The Belt and Road Initiative recognizes that we have a historic opportunity to build modern, green cities, communities, transportation and energy systems that put resilience and sustainability at the heart,” he said, adding that it can make valuable contributions in two key areas. from work.
Support economic sustainability
The first focuses on enhancing economic sustainability in developing countries by reforming the current global financial architecture, promoting effective debt relief mechanisms and supporting the $500 billion annual stimulus plan to increase investment in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Leaders who attended the Sustainable Development Goals Summit at UN Headquarters last month supported these initiatives.
“Now, in this context, which is dramatic for developing countries, the importance of the Belt and Road Initiative cannot be denied. It has included nearly a trillion dollars in cumulative investments across more than 3,000 projects around the world.
Investing in environmental sustainability
The second area of work relates to promoting environmental sustainability, which requires investments that “integrate resilience and adaptation across national and local planning” and help achieve the goal of limiting global temperature rise to no more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
“The Belt and Road Initiative is an important tool to make such major investments a reality,” he said.
Green Silk Road
The Secretary-General addressed this point in his remarks to a high-level forum on the Green Silk Road Initiative, which aims to make Belt and Road projects and investments in harmony with nature.
Their size, number and scope “could literally change the landscape – economies, energy systems, transportation, buildings and entire industries,” he said, “and it must be done in ways that preserve the future of our children.”
Mr. Guterres urged leaders to “ensure that projects provide the green and sustainable infrastructure that countries need to support both people and ecosystems, while breaking free from failed development models that keep us addicted to fossil fuels.”
Once again, he saw two key areas where investments could help advance efforts towards sustainability and climate action.
Clean energy for all
First, he emphasized the need for “green transportation and municipal energy systems” that do not pollute the environment or destroy biodiversity while providing affordable electricity to all.
“We need the construction industries to take their impacts on nature into consideration in their plans and projects,” he added. “We need climate-resilient buildings, water and electricity systems that are able to continue serving communities in the face of disasters.”
Abandon fossil fuels
In addition, any new infrastructure investment should “catalyze the shift away from planet-destroying fossil fuels toward renewable energy” – his second point.
In this regard, Mr. Guterres referred to his proposal for a Climate Solidarity Pact that would push top emitters to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Likewise, his Acceleration Agenda urges all governments to “move forward rapidly on their energy transitions.”
The UN Secretary-General stressed the need to fulfill a $100 billion commitment to support climate action in developing countries, double adaptation financing by 2025, and activate the Loss and Damage Fund at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai next month.
He also noted his call for ending licenses for new oil and gas projects, eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, and exiting coal by 2040.
“The Green Silk Road can be an important part of this process to accelerate a fair and equitable energy transition, as we provide clean and affordable energy to all and pursue true net-zero paths,” he said.
