The climate risks of China’s Belt and Road Initiative

Abstract

ABSTRACT China benefits, at the expense of US interests, by claiming its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a green project. However, BRI projects so far have contributed to emissions that will push global warming past the internationally agreed limit of 2 degrees Celsius. For electricity generation, Chinese policy banks primarily support environmentally damaging coal-fired and hydropower projects. Other Chinese infrastructure projects also carry environmental concerns, because of China’s weak foreign investment standards. To combat China’s false claims of environmental leadership, the United States should: 1) publicize BRI’s environmental impacts in multilateral forums and offer technical assistance to countries along the Belt and Road, 2) partner with allies to provide greener infrastructure investment alternatives, and 3) encourage China to strengthen the environmental and social governance standards for its development assistance. These policies aim to demonstrate the harm BRI poses, highlight the benefits of diplomatic engagement with the United States, and hold China to a higher standard of environmental quality in its global infrastructure investments.