Huzhou: China's experience in green development has shown that you can have your cake and eat it too, former United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General Erik Solheim told Xinhua this week. "We can develop the economy while protecting and enhancing the natural environment at the same time," Solheim, who is also co-chair of the Europe-Asia Center, said on the sidelines of the 2025 Green Low-Carbon Innovation Conference in Huzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the conference, aimed at fostering global cooperation on green innovation, brought together nearly 300 scientists, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists. To mark the 20th anniversary of the birth of the "two mountains" concept, which holds that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," the event underscored the idea's significance in advancing ecological civilization, accelerating green transformation, and improving global ecological governance.

Yucun Village, the birthplace of the "two mountains" concept, is located in southwestern Huzhou. Previously, limestone processing for cement manufacture was the main source of livelihood for Yucun residents, which led to dusty air and heavy pollution. By the early 2000s, the villagers decided to shut down cement factories to save the environment. During an inspection tour to Yucun in August 2005, Chinese President Xi Jinping, then Party chief of Zhejiang, praised the village's decision and introduced the "two mountains" concept, which has since become a guiding principle for ecological progress nationwide.

Thanks to the adoption of the concept and active efforts, the once heavily polluted village now enjoys a tourism boom, which has become the main source of income for locals. People at the conference in Huzhou, who came from various parts of the world, reached a consensus that China's experience has shown that economic growth does not need to come at the expense of the environment.

"The speed at which China is rolling out new technologies-not only to clean up the environment but also to reduce its impact-is simply remarkable," said Llorenc Mila i Canals, head of the UN Environment Programme's Life Cycle Initiative Secretariat. "Many outside the country still picture China as heavily polluted, but that's a chapter long closed," he added.

Conference participants noted that China's environmental turnaround is not only about technology but also about policy, community engagement, and long-term planning. The "two mountains" concept has guided villages, cities, and provinces toward greener practices, demonstrating that development and conservation can advance hand in hand.

Jiao Nianzhi, chair of the UN's Global-ONCE international science program, emphasized that while China is not selling a solution, it is ready to share and promote these practices globally. "When genuine action is being taken around the world, that's when this concept has been sparked," Jiao said.

The concept resonates with the world's young leaders and innovators, who are seen as the driving force of sustainable development. Ibeakamma Ugochinyere, a Nigerian student at Zhejiang Normal University, noted the concept's lasting impact on her global perspective, emphasizing the importance of working together across geopolitical divides to advance sustainable development goals.

Two decades after its proposal, the "two mountains" concept continues to shape both local landscapes and the global vision for a greener, more sustainable future.