From November 22 to 23, the 20th Summit of G20 Leaders was held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Premier Li Qiang announced the "International Cooperation Initiative on Green Minerals for Trade and Economy" and the "China Action Plan for Implementing the G20 Initiative Supporting Industrialization in Africa and the Least Developed Countries" at this summit.
International Cooperation Initiative on Green Minerals for Trade and Economy
The initiative recognizes that promoting green transformation and sustainable development in the mineral resources sector contributes to economic growth, resource conservation, environmental friendliness, and truly benefits people. The path to achieve this includes the "greening" of the entire process from mining, production, use, to recycling, as well as responsible mining and trading of minerals needed for green and low-carbon industries. It also encompasses mining practices throughout the life cycle of minerals that aim to maximize sustainability, including practices, technologies, and standards designed to reduce energy use, emissions, protect water and soil resources, and support local communities, collectively referred to as green minerals. Acknowledging the positive progress and significant achievements made by UN agencies and regional cooperation frameworks, such as the African Green Minerals Strategy, in promoting energy transition and green development. Recognizing the different levels of development and specific circumstances, especially the challenges faced by developing countries in terms of funding, technology, and capacity in the exploitation and utilization of mineral resources, it is necessary to leverage respective strengths and strengthen international cooperation in the green mineral trade.
Emphasizing that cooperation should adhere to principles of openness, win-win outcomes, fairness, and reasonableness, based on voluntary participation, ensuring that related cooperation does not affect the international obligations and domestic laws and regulations of the participating parties. Supporting cooperation through autonomous, bilateral, multilateral, and collective actions to jointly maintain a mutually beneficial, fair, and reasonable global supply chain stability for green minerals. Based on mutual respect, according to the willingness, capability, and needs of all parties, we jointly propose the following principles:
Creating an open and secure policy environment: Enhancing coordination between trade and environmental policies, encouraging alignment of development strategies, legal harmonization, and policy communication, learning from each other's experiences and good practices, maintaining policy stability, and creating an open, stable, transparent, regulated, fair, predictable policy environment.
Promoting liberalization and facilitation of green trade: To support the green industrialization efforts of all parties and maintain the stability and smoothness of the green mineral supply chain, we commit to formulating measures that promote the development of green industries in line with developmental provisions and comply with WTO rules for mutually beneficial multilateral trade. Encouraging industry organizations and international bodies to conduct research on lists of green mineral products and services.
Better fulfilling social responsibilities: Encouraging enhanced communication among governments, enterprises, media, the public, and environmental organizations, fulfilling green social responsibilities, and fostering a positive social atmosphere. Promoting higher levels of cooperation in green minerals through setting standards, consulting services, industry self-regulation, and compiling best practices.
Striving to benefit more people: Promoting the construction of an inclusive global green mineral value chain, encouraging support for small and medium-sized enterprises' participation in the green mineral value chain and industrial cooperation, advocating the establishment of community benefit-sharing mechanisms to ensure the employment rights and sustainable livelihoods of vulnerable groups such as indigenous peoples and women.
Deepening technological exchange and capacity building: Encouraging enhanced technology exchange and sharing, conducting joint training sessions involving government, academia, and industry, promoting green technology innovation through establishing R&D strategic alliances and co-building incubation platforms. Strengthening cooperation in setting green standards and conformity assessment, enhancing intellectual property protection, application, and management levels, and encouraging an innovative market environment.
Strengthening investment and financing cooperation: Supporting the establishment of tripartite/multilateral joint financing mechanisms involving governments, international institutions, and the private sector to guide private capital towards green mineral projects. Encouraging the signing of strategic bilateral or regional investment promotion and protection agreements or memorandums of understanding to ensure fair treatment and legitimate rights and interests of cross-border investments in the green mineral sector, promoting local and regional economic, social, and environmental sustainability.
Deepening multilateral mechanism cooperation: Encouraging extensive dialogue on international cooperation regarding green minerals within multilateral settings such as the United Nations, WTO, and G20, welcoming relevant international organizations to provide intellectual and technical support.
