Nations don't have to trade their natural environment for economic growth, COP 31 delegates say. 

China's "ecological civilization" blueprint proves that "economic development and environmental protection do not need to compete, but should instead work together," Stewart Maginnis, deputy director general of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, said in Antalya.

Maginnis explained that China is actively protecting and restoring ecosystems, putting natural resources at the heart of its development framework. 

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell described China's green transition as "nowhere else on Earth." It's spurring innovation and driving down costs around the globe, he added.

Those green strides – in electric vehicles, renewable energy and battery storage – are what International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol was pointing to. "China has shown the world the way," he said. 

The comments come as the English version of the "Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets – China's Path to Green Development" report was released at the COP31 China Pavilion on Tuesday. The report breaks down China's green development vision, how it's being rolled out nationally and its global impact.

Tennant Reed, director of climate change and energy at Australian Industry Group, was at the launch. Reed welcomed the document and shared his own experience from his travels to China. "There have been really remarkable improvements in some key issues, including urban air quality," he said. He added that it is highly encouraging to see the country setting national policies and backing the growth of green power sources for industry and households.

China's progress is not only vital for the country itself, but for global climate action, Reed said. China has become a primary source of clean energy and low- and zero-emission tech, and its expertise offers tools for other nations to hit their decarbonization targets.

Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen, who serves as COP31 president of negotiations, said China's clean energy investments are making batteries and solar power more affordable for everyone.

"That benefits China's own economic development, and it benefits the rest of the world as well," he said.

COP31 runs until November 20 in the Turkish coastal city of Antalya, bringing together international delegates and climate experts to step up global climate action, work together on green intitiatives and move forward with the Paris Agreement.