Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Over the past 10 years since the introduction of the One Belt, One Road initiative, it has become a platform for global cooperation that serves to generate and implement new ideas and projects that serve as drivers of economic development.

As a win-win collaboration, the Initiative becomes an international public good. In particular, according to a World Bank report, the full implementation of the BRI initiative will lead to an increase in trade turnover between participating countries by more than 4%.

At the same time, against the background of the growing challenges of climate change, including global warming and ecological imbalance, the Green Silk Road was initiated, aimed at promoting sustainable development in the Belt and Road region.

It is noteworthy that the issue of further development of the Green Silk Road was discussed within the framework of the third International Forum “One Belt, One Road”, which was held on 17-18 October in Beijing. The event was attended by the President of Uzbekistan Sh.M. Mirziyoyev, voicing a number of important initiatives and proposals in the field of “green” development.

The head of state noted the need to develop coordinated approaches to expanding the international agenda in the field of renewable energy technologies.

In order to solve this problem, it was proposed to intensify the dialogue on the transition to “green” energy and hold regular meetings of ministers of the Belt and Road countries, which would allow discussing joint projects for the introduction of renewable energy source (RES) technologies, as well as agreeing on common strategies to achieve climate neutrality.

It should be noted that today cooperation with China in the field of renewable energy sources is considered by Uzbekistan as an important area of sustainable and environmental development of the country.

It is important to note that Chinese companies account for about 70% of the global market share in the production of photovoltaic modules, wind turbines and other important components in the field of renewable energy.

Moreover, in 2021, China installed more offshore wind turbines than any country in the world, making it the world leader in wind energy use.

Cooperation between Uzbekistan and China in the field of renewable energy sources undoubtedly provides new opportunities to ensure energy security and environmental sustainability both in Uzbekistan and in Central Asia as a whole.

An example of promising cooperation is the willingness of Chinese companies to invest US$2 billion in the implementation of renewable energy projects with a capacity of 2 GW in the Jizzakh and Tashkent regions.

Moreover, at the last summit of the Heads of States of “Central Asia and the PRC” in May of this year, Uzbekistan and China agreed on the construction of 11 solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of 4.8 GW worth US$4.4 billion, which will undoubtedly contribute to the “green” development in the republic.

Further joint work in this area, including during regular ministerial meetings, is fully consistent with the national “Strategy of Uzbekistan 2030”, which lists among the priority areas the transition to a green economy through a radical increase in the use of renewable energy.

Bakhtiyorov Nurmukhammad, leading researcher at the International Institute of Central Asia