SAN JOSE -- A Chinese official Thursday expressed here China's willingness and determination to work with the international community to promote sustainable development.

Speaking at the opening of the 6th "Environment for Development" (EfD)annual meeting, China's diplomat in Costa Rica Zhai Yue highlighted his country's commitment for the world's sustainable development, and also stressed the right to a fair an equitable development.

The Chinese government, with enormous importance attached to sustainable development, has conducted numerous practices, such as reducing 21 percent of energy consumption for each Gross Domestic Product unit, which has reduced at least 1.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide emission and also reduced 15 percent of the main pollutants emission.

"China is willing to work with Costa Rica to overcome the difficulties, by actively promoting the international cooperation to create a better place for future generations," Zhai said.

The EfD meeting lasts until next Sunday, when 60 experts from several regions will try to define the needs to design policies and research in favor of finding solutions to the problems of climate change, water and natural resources, in their respective countries.

The EfD initiative has centers in South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, China, Sweden, the United States, Chile, and Central America.