CONSENSUS
Sustainabledevelopmenthasbecometheconsensusamongtheinternationalcommunitysincetheunanimousadoptionofthe2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment.LARGEscaleinfrastructureprojectsaredoubtlessthefirstthingsthatcometominduponmentionoftheBeltandRoadInitiative.IntherecentlyconcludedBeltandRoadForumforInternationalCooperation,however,itwastheconceptofsustainabledevelopmentwhichwasunderlinedasakeyprincipleinrollingouttheinitiative.
AsChinesePresidentXiJinpingsaidinhiskeynotespeechattheforum,“Wemustpursueanewvisionofgreendevelopmentandwayoflifeandworkwhichisgreen,low-carbon,circularandsustain-able.”Afewdayspriortotheforum,theChinesegovernmentissuedofficialguidelinesonpromotinga“green”BeltandRoadandintermeshingthesustainableconceptwiththeentireimplementationprocess,byincorporatingenvironmentalassessment,greenproductstandards,andcorporatesocialresponsibility.
ErikSolheim,executivedirectoroftheUNEnvironmentandunder-secretarygeneraloftheUnitedNations,commendedChina’s“green”efforts.“TheBeltandRoadInitiativeshouldexpeditetheinterconnectivityofgreendevelopmentconceptsandinfrastructure,”SolheimtoldChinaTodayonthesidelinesoftheBeltandRoadForum.Hewentontotalkabouttheinitiative’sinfluenceonthecourseofsustainabledevelopment.
EconomyandEnvironmentSimultaneouslyAddressed
Onaglobalscale,countriesandregionsalongtheBeltandRoadgenerallyhaveadeepconcernaboutenvironmentalvulnerability.Thispartlyexplainsrecurrentcriticismsofandoppositionstonewinvestmentandprojects.Theprevailingmindsetisthatdevelopmentisattheexpenseoftheenvironment.
Solheimregardsthisasanoutdatedattitude.“Economicprosperityandagoodenvironmentcanbesimultaneouslyachieved.”ThesalientexampleSolheimraisedwastheMombasa-Nairobirailway,thelatestincarnationofChina’sinterconnectivitydreamontheAfricancontinent.
HavingstartedoperationsonMay31,therailwayconnectingKenya’scapitalanditslargestportcutsthetraveltimebetweenthetwocitiesfrom11hourstoaboutfourhours,soslashingcostsbyupto40percent.KenyanPresidentUhuruKenyattasaidonhisTwitterthattherailwaywill“reshapethestoryofKenyaforthenext100years.”
Theproject,however,cameunderclosescrutinyevenbeforeconstructionstartedin2014.Despitetheassociatedcosts,itsenvironmentalimpactwasamajorconcern.Astherailwaycutsthroughseveralnationalparks,conservationistsworriedthatitmighthinderthefreemigrationofwildanimals.
TheChineseconstructorshencehitonreserving14“passages”onoverheadviaductsspecificallyforanimals’migration,thesolutionappliedadecadeagoduringthebuildingoftherailwaysontheQinghai-TibetPlateau.Ataheightofuptosevenmeters,thepassagesallowthesafetransitofanimalsastallasgiraffes.Fencesarealsoinstalledalongtheentirelinetokeepwildanimalsoffthetracks.
Thenotionthateconomicdevelopmentandnaturalconservationareincompatible,therefore,isobsolete,saidSolheim.TheheadofUNEnvironmentcallsforanewsustainabledevelopmentconceptwhoseemphasisisondevelopingeconomyviasustainablemethodsandtechnologies.
“Suchmassiveinvestmentindevelopmentisonascaleneverbeforeseen,”saidSolheim,addingthatiftheBeltandRoadInitiativeweretobecarriedoutinasustainable,climatefriendlyway,millionscouldwitnessthebenefitsofgreengrowth.“Greenhillsaregoldenhills,”hequoted,sosignifyinghisagreementwithPresidentXi’sobservationinhiskeynotespeech.
TheChinaHuadianCorporationinvestedandbuiltacoal-firedpowerstationinBalithatfullymeetsgreenandefficiencystandards.NewMechanismforRealizingaSustainable2030
Sustainabledevelopmenthasbecometheconsensusamongtheinternationalcommunitysincetheunanimousadoptionofthe2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopmentbytheUNmembersinSeptember2015.ComparedwiththeprecedingMillenniumDevelopmentGoals(MDGs),theemphasisoftheSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs)onthe2030Agendaismoreonbalanceddevelopmentandchartingthedirectionofhumansocietyoverfuturedecades.
ChinahassincefocusedonmeetingtheSDGsthroughitsdomesticpovertyeliminationcampaign,providinginternationalassistance,andsigningtheParisClimateAgreement.TheBeltandRoadInitiativeisalsoprojectedasanewglobalcooperationmechanismforrealizingtheSDGs.
PresidentXisaidattheBeltandRoadForumthatcooperationonecologicalandenvironmentalprotectionmustbestrengthenedinabidtorealizethegoalssetbythe2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment.
ThegoalsandtargetsoftheBeltandRoadInitiativeandthe2030Agendahavemuchincommon.Infrastructureconstructionisoneexample.AlthoughamainpriorityoftheBeltandRoad,itisalsothetargetoffiercecriticism.InitsofficialguidelinesondevelopingtheBeltandRoad,theChinesegovernmentcalledoncountriestocombinetheirinfrastructureconstructionplansandtechnicalstandardsinaconcertedefforttopromotegreenandlow-carboninfrastructureconstructionandoperationalmanagement,andfacilitatecross-borderpowersupplynetworksandopticalcablenetworks.TheseproposalsechotheSustainableDevelopmentGoal7(accesstocleanandaffordableenergy),Goal9(buildaresilientinfrastructure),andGoal13(combatclimatechange).
ErikSolheimsaidthatChina’sBeltandRoadInitiativeleadsthewaytofosteringinternationalcooperationonaddressingchallengesthatmustbecollectivelytackled.
KeyAreasLeveragingSustainability
Innovationisvitaltoaddressingsimultaneouslyeconomicandenvironmentalchallenges.Greenfinance,forexample,isanewapproachtoleveragingthesustainablepotentialoftheBeltandRoadInitiative.
Introducing“green”indicatorstobankingsystemsandstockmarketsisexpectedtogivebusinessesgreaterincentivetoprotecttheenvironment.Thefailureofcompaniestomeetenvironmentalstandardswillthusbereflectedonthestockmarket;thosewhomanifestconcernfortheenvironmentandobserveenvironmentallawswillgainbothreputationandmarketcapital.
“ChinabroughttheideaofgreenfinanceunderthelimelightduringtheHangzhouG20Summit,”saidSolheim.TheUNEnvironmentwasentrustedtoconductaspecialstudyinthisregardatthebehestoftheChineseG20presidencyinearly2016.TheresearchresultswererecognizedintheG20Leaders’CommuniquélastSeptemberupontheHangzhouSummit’sconclusion.
Greatachievementshaveensued.CaoMingdi,deputydirectoroftheGreenFinanceDepartmentofChongyangInstituteforFinancialStudies,toldChinaTodaythatChinaisnowthelargestmarketforgreenbonds,andhasdrawnmanyforeignbuyers.Caoaddedthatthisfastgrowthisattributabletoongoingdomesticeconomicrestructuringandarelativelycompletetop-leveldesignsincelatelastyear,whentheChinesegovernmentissuedguidelinesonbuildingagreenfinancesystem.
“Havingfoundtherightdirection,weneedtogatherpaceinmakingthebankingandinsuranceindustriesandstockmarketsmoregreen,”saidSolheim,“forexample,throughtheAsianDevelopmentBankandtheAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBank.”
Besidesgreenfinance,energyisanotherkeyarea.XiJinpingmentionedinhisspeechtheopportunitiesthatthe“newroundofchangeinenergymixandtherevolutioninenergytechnologies”couldbring.SolheimobservedthatChinaisattheforefrontofcleanenergytechnologies,suchaswindpowerandsolarpower,whichhaveslashedthepricesofrenewableenergy,andsoenhancedtheircompetitivenessinthemarket.China’sR&DadvantagesandpromotionofelectricautoswillalsohighlightgreentransportationwhencarryingouttheBeltandRoadInitiative.
CloserCooperation
CooperationbetweentheChinesegovernmentandUNEnvironmenthasbeenstrengthenedundertheBeltandRoadframework.LastDecemberthetwoentitiessignedanMOUoncooperation,andagroupofinternationalexpertsisonhandwithwhomtheChinesegovernmentcanconsultinsuchfieldsassustainablefinanceandcleantechnologies,sustainableconsumptionandproduction.“UNEnvironmentcanprovidesupportfortechnologytransfersandcreatinggreeneconomicpolicies,”saidSolheim.
Tofacilitatecooperation,ontheinitiativeofChinesePresidentXiJinping,theInternationalCoalitionforGreenDevelopmentontheBeltandRoadwasestablishedinBeijingonMay15.Thecoalition,jointlylaunchedbyChineseMinistryofEnvironmentalProtectionandUNEnvironment,includesallstakeholdersinthesharingofgreendevelopmentconcepts,policies,practicesandexperiences,atmultiplelevelsandinvarioussectors.Solheimcalledforwiderglobalparticipationinthecoalition,andanopeninclusiveplatform,similartothatoftheinitiativeitself.
Governmentandresearchcirclesembracethecoalition,whilereactionsfromthebusinesssectorarealsopositive.ChairmanoftheElionResourcesGroupWangWenbiaotoldChinaToday,“AsElionhasengagedindesertificationcontrolforthreedecades,wehaveexperience,technologiesandseedresources.”AsdozensofcountriesalongtheBeltandRoadareplaguedwithdesertification,Elion’sexperience,whichinevitablyincludesfailures,willbehelpful.“Ecologicalvulnerabilityandpovertyarealwayscorrelative,”saidWang,“butwearereadytoprovidetechnologiesandinformationservicestoanyoneinneed.”
SolheimseestheestablishmentofthecoalitionandtheBeltandRoadForumasthebeginningofaclosecollaboration.“WeallwanttheBeltandRoadInitiativetofulfillitspromiseasapositiveforcefordevelopment,”saidSolheim.“Butwemustworktogethertoensurethatsuchdevelopmentissustainable.”