EngineforSustainableDevelopment
Chinahasalwaysattachedmuchimportancetoenvironmentalissues,andenvironmentalprotectionwassetasabasicstatepolicyatthe1983NationalWorkingConferenceonEnvironmentalProtection.Enteringthe21stcentury,supportingmeasures,laws,regulations,publicity,andeducationonenvironmentalissueshasbeengraduallyimproved.Ecologicalprogress,beinganefforttoachievesustainabledevelopmentinthelightofnaturalconditions,wasgiventhestatusofapoliticalprogramandnationalstrategyatthe18thNationalCongressoftheCommunistPartyofChina(CPC)in2012.
WhentheChinesegovernmentfirstputforwardtheBeltandRoadInitiativeinthesecondhalfof2013,environmentalprotectionwasnaturallyincludedinthestrategicplan.Sincethen,ChinesePresidentXiJinpinghascalledforjointconstructionofthegreenBeltandRoadseveraltimes.AttheBeltandRoadForumforInternationalCooperationinMay2017,PresidentXimadeclearthatChinashouldcarryoutthenewconceptofgreendevelopment,advocateagreen,low-carbon,circular,andsustainablemodeofproductionandwayoflife,strengthencooperationinecologicalconservation,promoteecologicalprogress,andworktogetherwithothercountriestoachievethe2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment.TheAgendawassignedby193UNmembercountriesattheUnitedNationsSustainableDevelopmentSummitin2015,aimedatachieving17sustainabledevelopmentgoalsinthefieldsofeconomy,society,resources,andenvironmentbytheendof2030.AttendeesposeforaselfieinfrontofthelogooftheEcoForumGlobal.NicholasRosellini,UNresidentcoordinatorinChina,saidatameetingearlierthisyearthattheBeltandRoadInitiativeandthe2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopmentsharethesamevisionandbasicprinciple,andthattheinitiativewillcontributetoacceleratingtheagenda.Inhisview,theintegrationoftheconceptofgreendevelopmentintotheconstructionoftheBeltandRoadwillensuresustainabledevelopmentoftheprojectintermsofbotheconomyandenvironment,whichprovidesanewdrivingforcefortheimplementationofthe2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment.
Sofar,15UNagencieshavesignedagreementsrelatedtotheBeltandRoadInitiativewithrelevantChineseagencies.Theseagreementsareaimedatcreatingasynergybetweenthe2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopmentandtheBeltandRoadInitiative.
GreenInfrastructure
Inter-connectivityofinfrastructureisakeypointoftheBeltandRoadInitiativeaswellasapriorityareaintheconstructionofthegreenBeltandRoad.SincetheInitiativewasfirstproposed,ChinahasenhancedcooperationwithcountriesandregionsalongtheBeltandRoadinthefieldofinfrastructure,includinghighways,railways,andaviation,shipping,energy,andinformationfacilities.
However,theconstructionofinfrastructureconsumesalargeamountofresources,includingsteel,cement,stone,andwood.Itwilldecidetheenergyconsumption,resourceutilization,andwastedischargeofthecountriesalongtheBeltandRoadinthenextfewdecades.ThecarbonemissionsofcountriesalongtheBeltandRoadmakeupover60percentoftheglobaltotal,withpercapitaemissionsof6.1tons,wellabovetheworldaverageof4.5tons.Therefore,constructionofgreeninfrastructureisaninevitablechoice.
InMarch2015,VisionandActionsonJointlyBuildingSilkRoadEconomicBeltand21st-CenturyMaritimeSilkRoadwasissuedbyChina’sNationalDevelopmentandReformCommission,MinistryofForeignAffairs,andtheMinistryofCommerce.Itclearlystatedthatweshouldstrengthengreenlow-carbonconstructionandoperationalmanagementoftheinfrastructureandtakeintofullconsiderationtheimpactofglobalclimatechange.
Chineseenterpriseskeepimprovingthelow-carbonconstructionofinfrastructurefortheBeltandRoadInitiative.TaketheMombasa-NairobiRailwayinKenyaasanexample.Sincerailwaytransportcancontributetolesshighwaytransport,theMombasa-NairobiRailwayhashelpedreducetheemissionsofcarbon-dioxideby40percentandloweredtheenvironmentalriskofroadtransport.Itisnowregardedas“thePathofFriendship”aswellas“thePathofEcologicalConservation”betweenChinaandAfricainthenewera.Asub-forumisheldtitled“SynergyBetweenthe2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopmentandtheGreen‘BeltandRoad’”attheEcoForumGlobalAnnualConferenceGuiyang2018.However,ahugefinancinggapexistsintheconstructionofgreeninfrastructure.TheWorldBankestimatesthatanannualextrainvestmentofUS$80billionisneededtoachievethegoaloflow-carbonenergytransformationby2030.“TheBeltandRoadInitiativecanhelpcountriesalongtheBeltandRoadtakeadvantageofnewfinancialinstitutionssuchasAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBank,attractinginvestmenttotheconstructionofinfrastructureofloworevenzerocarbonemission,”saidTaraqEmtairah,directoroftheenergydivisionoftheUnitedNationsIndustrialDevelopmentOrganization,attheEcoForumGlobal2018ConferenceinGuiyanginAugust.
AndaccordingtoDr.ZhouGuomei,deputydirectorofChina-ASEANEnvironmentalCooperationCenter,“Bybuildingmechanismsforgreentechnologyandgreeninnovation,wecanintroducelow-carbonandenvironmentallyfriendlytechnologiesandpromotelowcarbontransformationintheconstructionofgreeninfrastructure.”
CommunicationinEnvironmentalProtection
SinceenterprisesarethemainforceinbuildingthegreenBeltandRoad,theChinesegovernmenthastakenarangeofmeasurestohelpChinesecompanieslearnaboutenvironmentallawsandregulationsinothercountriesandbesociallyresponsibletopreventenvironmentalrisks.
AttheBeltandRoadForumforInternationalCooperation(BRF)heldinMay2017,PresidentXiproposedtosetupabigdataserviceplatformonecologicalandenvironmentalprotectionandaninternationalcoalitionforgreendevelopmentalongtheBeltandRoad.Aimedatcollectingandcollatingecologicalconditions,policies,lawsandregulations,standardsandtechnologiesofenvironmentalprotection,anddevelopmentofgreenindustriesofcountriesalongtheBeltandRoad,thisplatformwillprovidefundamentalinformationonenvironmentalprotectionandsupportforoverseasinvestmentandoperationsofenterprises.
TheinternationalcoalitionforgreendevelopmentontheBeltandRoad,jointlyinitiatedbyChina’sMinistryofEcologyandEnvironmentandUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme,isdedicatedtointegratingthestrengthofnationalgovernments,internationalorganizations,enterprises,thinktanksandnon-governmentalorganizationsalongtheBeltandRoadtojointlypromotegreensustainabledevelopment.
ChinahasreleasedtheGuidanceonPromotingGreenBeltandRoadandTheBeltandRoadEcologicalandEnvironmentalCooperationPlan.“TheGuidancespecifiesthegeneralcourseandrequirementsforthegreendevelopmentoftheBeltandRoad,andthePlangivesmoredetailsonthetargets,projectsandmissions.Theyfurtherboostthemakingofenvironmentalprotectionlaws,policies,technologicalstandards,andcommunicationandcooperationbetweenrelevantbusinesses,”saidHuangRunqiu,viceministerofecologyandenvironment.
Relyingonexistingbilateralandmultilateralcooperationmechanisms,theChinesegovernmenthashostedaseriesofdialogueandexchangeeventsthemedonthegreenBeltandRoadtosharethephilosophyandpracticeofecologicalprogressandgreendevelopment,suchastheEcoForumGlobalAnnualConferenceinGuiyang,capitalofsouthwestChina’sGuizhouProvince,EcologicalandEnvironmentalProtectionCooperationSub-Forumofthe2015Euro-AsiaEconomicForuminXi’an,capitalofShaanxiProvince,andChina-ArabStatesForumonEnvironmentalProtectionCooperationinYinchuan,NingxiaHuiAutonomousRegion.
NicholasRoselliniproposedthatChineseenterprisesmakinginvestmentsabroadshouldnotonlyoperateinaccordancewithlocalenvironmentalprotectionrequirements,butalsointroducehigherstandardsforenvironmentalprotectionintothehostcountry,andprovidetrainingforlocalemployeesandenterprises.Infact,Chinahasprovidedtraininginenvironmentalgovernancetonearly1,000peopleindevelopingcountriesalongtheBeltandRoadundertheGreenSilkRoadEnvoysProgram.