Guangzhou's achievements in sustainable development have been highly recognized by the international community since the city formulated its21st Century Agenda25 years ago with sustainable development as its major goal.

In March this year, the southern Chinese city submitted a voluntary local review on sustainable development to the United Nations, and the UN invited the mayor of Guangzhou to attend the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July.

As one of the Chinese cities implementing sustainable development into city planning, Guangzhou attached great importance to water treatment and the construction of a green belt when drawing up its blueprint for its city planning in 2020.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), the city designated a new water source protection area of 246 square kilometers, treated more than 120,000 polluted waterways, expanded 32 sewage treatment plants, and built a sewage pipe network of 18,900 km.

Moreover, the Guangdong province's capital city is willing to share its experience of sustainable development with cities worldwide and has been devoted to promoting international cooperation in relevant fields.

It is the first city in China to join the World Association of Major Metropolises, one of the most influential organizations contributing to communication and cooperation between cities around the world.

As the co-chair city of United Cities and Local Governments, Guangzhou set up the International Award for Urban Innovation in 2011 to encourage cities to innovate governance.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Guangzhou attended many online forums on COVID-19 containment to share its experience in COVID-19 prevention and control with other cities around the world.

The voluntary local review of Guangzhou summarizes Guangzhou's development experience over the past a few decades, showing the positive attitude of a Chinese city towards international cooperation in sustainable development, said You Jianhua, an expert from the United Nations Center for Human Settlements.

Guangzhou's action will encourage local governments all over the world to join the campaign of promoting sustainable development, according to Wing Thye Woo, an economics professor at the University of California, Davis.

Donghu Park in Yuexiu district showcases green development in Guangzhou. [Photo/Southern Metropolis Daily]