A leading Chinese enterprise has signed a three-year strategic cooperation agreement with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with the stated aim of injecting new momentum into the green Belt and Road Initiative.

Tsingshan Industrial, which specializes in nickel mining, ferronickel smelting, stainless steel refining and deep processing, signed a "joint declaration on the sustainable development of the nickel industry chain" on Nov 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the 21st UNIDO General Conference and Global Industrial Summit. The agreement reflects the growing importance of Chinese enterprises in global sustainable industry governance.

The cooperation project will be piloted at Tsingshan's Indonesian Morowali Industrial Park — which was developed by China and Indonesia as part of the Belt and Road Initiative — and Weda Bay Industrial Park.

According to Li Yumo, head of ESG office, Tsingshan's board of directors, the two parties are committed to accelerating the transition to green, low-carbon and inclusive production models, enhancing the competitiveness of Chinese enterprises in the global market, while providing sustainable development demonstrations for the global green mineral value chain.

Tsingshan generated a sales revenue of 406.6 billion yuan ($57.3 billion) in 2024, becoming the first private steel enterprise in China to exceed 400 billion yuan in annual sales, ranking 247th in the 2025 Fortune Global 500 and 63rd in the China Enterprise 500.

Li said the core objective of the agreement is to promote the construction of ecological industrial parks focused on four key areas — the circular economy, industrial skills training, community development and green supply chain management.

He added that Tsingshan and the UNIDO will continue to explore other areas of cooperation for accelerating the green transformation and sustainable development of the global nickel industry chain.

The Morowali Industrial Park acted as a landmark example of cooperation between China and Indonesia at its inception in 2013, and it has since harnessed the region's abundant nickel reserves to grow into a large integrated industrial cluster, attracting a total investment of some $35 billion from enterprises in China, Indonesia, Australia and Singapore.

Under the strategic cooperation framework, Tsingshan intends to leverage the advantages of both the Morowali and Weda Bay industrial parks, utilizing UNIDO's global network and expertise in green industry policies to participate in the development and implementation of international green industrial policies and technical standards, Li added.

Li said Tsingshan views the agreement as an opportunity to advance sustainable development pilot projects at the two industrial parks, deepening cooperation with governments, industry associations, park enterprises, financial institutions and other stakeholders.

Through this cooperation, Tsingshan aims to build world-class sustainable industrial parks, inject new momentum into the green BRI and contribute to a green future for the global nickel industry chain, he said.

UNIDO, as a specialized agency of the United Nations, is dedicated to advancing global industrialization, enhancing economic competitiveness and promoting environmental protection and social inclusion.

Please contact the writer at yinmingyue@chinadaily.com.cn