{"id":1383,"date":"2017-05-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-12T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/master.k8s.p4.greenpeace.org\/eastasia\/aboutus\/1383\/sustainability-should-be-priority-for-chinas-belt-and-road-greenpeace\/"},"modified":"2019-11-19T23:10:55","modified_gmt":"2019-11-20T07:10:55","slug":"sustainability-should-be-priority-for-chinas-belt-and-road-greenpeace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/eastasia\/press\/1383\/sustainability-should-be-priority-for-chinas-belt-and-road-greenpeace\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainability should be priority for China\u2019s Belt and Road- Greenpeace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Beijing, May 12 2017- On Sunday, 28 government leaders will meet in Beijing for the Belt and Road summit. As China embarks on its historic investment initiative, Greenpeace urges that environmental accountability be prioritized.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\u201cShaping the Belt and Road initiative with the environment in mind is key to setting the new \u2018China story\u2019 right,\u201d said Greenpeace campaigner Yixiu Wu. \u201cThe initiative should be used to promote renewable energy and environmental sustainability on a global scale.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Greenpeace urges that environmental impact assessments be integrated into the Belt and Road initiative and that the results of these assessments be made publicly available.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cCompanies with poor environmental records abroad should be named within China,\u201d said Wu. \u201cMoreover, including a wide range of stakeholders in the design of this evaluation system will strengthen its impact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

On Monday, four of China\u2019s government ministries released the document, \u201cGuidance to Promote the Construction of a Green Belt and Road\u201d [1]. The document says building a \u201cGreen Belt and Road\u201d requires input from various stakeholders in addition to the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP). It also includes a proposal for finance mechanisms that would encourage investments aimed at tackling environmental challenges.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe document shows positive momentum for creating a Belt and Road initiative that reflects the global environmental crisis. The next step is implementing a system that turns this resolve into action,\u201d said Wu.<\/p>\n\n

Domestically, China\u2019s energy transition is already underway. China is the world\u2019s leading renewable energy manufacturer, and coal consumption has dropped for three consecutive years [2].<\/p>\n\n

Yet China remains the No.1 financier of overseas coal projects worldwide. Between 2007 and 2015, China\u2019s banks invested more than USD 25 billion in coal projects [3].<\/p>\n\n

\u201cGiven that more than half of China\u2019s outbound investment is in the energy and infrastructure sectors, the Belt and Road initiative is an opportunity for China to play a leading role in the transition from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy. Prioritizing sustainability will cement China\u2019s legacy as it assumes a larger role on the global stage,\u201d said Wu [4].<\/p>\n

Notes to editor:<\/strong><\/div>\n
\uff3b1\uff3dhttp:\/\/www.thepaper.cn\/newsDetail_forward_1680282
<\/a>\uff3b2\uff3dhttp:\/\/energydesk.greenpeace.org\/2017\/02\/28\/china-carbon-co2-emissions-coal-oil-energy-2016\/<\/a>
\uff3b3\uff3dhttps:\/\/www.chinadialogue.net\/article\/show\/single\/en\/9264-China-stokes-global-coal-growth
<\/a>\uff3b4\uff3dhttps:\/\/www.aei.org\/china-global-investment-tracker\/<\/a><\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n
Media contacts:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Erin Newport, International Communications Officer
Greenpeace East Asia, Beijing | +86 18301149704<\/a> | erin.newport@greenpeace.org<\/a>