The Ministry of Environmental Protection is building an ecological protection big data service platform and an international alliance of green development, to support the green development of the countries taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative, said an official of the ministry in a regular news press in Beijing on July 20.

According to Guo Jing, head of the international cooperation department of the ministry, the big data platform, which is expected to share information, technology and knowledge, will facilitate partner countries' development transformation, trade, investment and infrastructure construction in the field of ecological protection.

As for the international alliance, the ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding on building the green Belt and Road with the United Nations Environment Program last year, and the two sides have already started preparations for the establishment of the alliance, Guo said.

The alliance is open and inclusive, and its main objective is to promote the sharing of concepts, policies and practices of green development, international and regional research and dialogue, policy consultation, and raising public awareness on sustainable development, Guo said.