Transforming 'Green' Belt and Road Initiative from Verbal Pledges to Practical Steps

The Chinese government issued progressive guidelines in 2022 for ecological and environmental protection in foreign investment and cooperation projects, marking a policy commitment to green overseas investment. However, for these guidelines to reach their full potential, concrete oversight and practical tools are needed.

The guidelines call for a combination of clear principles, enforcement mechanisms, community engagement, and alignment with broader green development goals. Key strategies include:

Establishing clear enforcement and accountability mechanisms: The current guidelines are broad in scope but lack detailed procedures, enforcement tools, or benchmarks. To avoid reliance on voluntary corporate self-compliance, it is essential to establish clear enforcement mechanisms.
Promoting ecological and environmental transparency and meaningful community engagement: The guidelines require companies to engage in regular, ongoing dialogue with affected communities throughout the project lifecycle. This involves involving local communities substantively in environmental decision-making related to foreign investments.
Aligning foreign investment projects with national and international green development goals: Integrating emission reduction targets into economic planning and leveraging China’s green finance instruments, such as green loans and bonds, are crucial steps in this alignment.
Leveraging multilateral cooperation and financial institutions: The guidelines offer an opportunity to embed environmental standards within international cooperation frameworks through institutions like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and South-South Cooperation funds.
Applying lessons from domestic ecological governance models: Adapting regulatory frameworks from successful domestic ecological governance models, such as the Yangtze River Protection Law, to overseas projects could help ensure compliance with ecological protection standards.
Encouraging ecological economic systems: This involves converting ecological resource advantages into sustainable economic benefits through eco-agriculture, eco-tourism, and eco-industries, combined with green financing tools to support investment projects adhering to environmental protection.

However, implementation faces constraints. China’s traditional principle of non-interference in the governance of foreign countries limits its ability to oversee corporate behavior abroad. Additionally, the guidelines offer no clear incentives or penalties, making it challenging to ensure compliance.

To move from policy to effective action, supplementing the guidelines with concrete regulatory frameworks, international collaboration, capacity-building for corporate environmental responsibility, and market-based incentives will be crucial. The guidelines have been well received by academic think-tanks and civil society and offer China the opportunity to move beyond rhetorical commitments and demonstrate genuine leadership in global green development.

The guidelines also require companies to publish environmental impact assessment reports in languages accessible to the local population and to adopt international standards or higher Chinese standards when local ones are insufficient. Communities should be given sufficient time to review EIA documents and submit feedback, and companies must document and respond to each comment received.

In summary, the strategies for effective implementation focus on strengthening enforcement, encouraging transparency and community involvement, aligning with global green development frameworks, leveraging multilateral cooperation and finance, and drawing on China’s domestic ecological governance experience, all while navigating the limits imposed by international sovereignty principles.