China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Implications for Global Climate Governance

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Abstract

China, the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, has been implementing its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in more than 100 countries across the world, which is characterized by infrastructure development in those countries. The majority of China’s BRI investments go to the energy sector especially fossil fuels – oil, coal and natural gas. Specifically, Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have invested in a number of coal-fired power plants in BRI countries, which has significant implications for global climate governance: first of all, the operation of the newly established coal plants in those BRI countries will make those countries much more difficult to meet their climate goals, that is, “Nationally Determined Commitments (NDCs)” under the Paris Agreement, which could render the Paris climate goals unreachable; Secondly, China’s BRI undermines China’s role as a lead state in global climate governance after the Paris Agreement; Thirdly, China’s BRI leads to the persistance of climate injustice under global climate governance between China and its BRI countries. Moreover, sub-state actors in China such as its SOEs are important actors whose investments have significant impact on the effectiveness of global climate governance.

Author

• Fuzuo Wu, University of Salford