Green collaboration: international NGOs and Chinese partners promoting sustainable overseas investment

It is estimated that approximately 8.5 million pangolins were trafficked from Africa between 2014 and 2021, many of which ended up in China.

In March 2019, it was co-hosted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China. 2 workshops Regarding the reduction of wildlife trafficking in Kenya, Botswana. These workshops, supported by the Chinese embassies in Nairobi and Gaborone, were attended by more than 200 Chinese nationals working in state-owned and private companies in both countries. During the workshop, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and Chinese government officials shared the common goal of reducing the illegal trade of products from Africa’s rare and endangered species to China, one of the world’s largest countries. expressed. market In the case of trafficked wildlife products.

These workshops highlight how INGOs and Chinese stakeholders are responding. Xi Jinping’s 2019 pledge To make the Belt and Road “open, green and clean” at the 2nd Belt and Road Forum. Although some experts have expressed concerns about the Chinese government’s policies, green washing As China’s overseas investments increase, many international organizations are trying to make China’s overseas projects more environmentally sustainable.

Since the 2010s, international NGOs and foundations have shifted their focus from activities within China to China-focused activities. program deal with environment Other consequences of China’s overseas investments. The rapid increase in overseas investment by Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and their increasing negative environmental impact is creating a new impetus for cooperation. As a result of these trends, Other factors (2017 etc.) Overseas NGO Law), INGOs and Chinese stakeholders are currently transitioning from a donor-recipient relationship to a partnership relationship in their overseas activities. These partnerships open the door to involvement in mutually beneficial projects. However, these projects still largely reflect incentives and priorities set by the Chinese government.

INGO-China Green Project starts in earnest

in our ongoing researchwe documented a trend that encourages INGOs and Chinese state-owned enterprises to work together. develop infrastructure project abroad. We have also investigated the different impacts that collaborative projects have on people’s lives and livelihoods. recognition Number of Belt and Road host country nationals. We have created a comprehensive dataset of all known INGOs and Chinese overseas development projects up to December 2020, and found that many of them are environmentally focused and include the “greening” of the Belt and Road. It turns out that this is the Chinese government’s goal.

In our dataset, more than half of the 133 projects are related to the environment, animal welfare, or sustainable development. Most of them are in Africa and Southeast Asia, especially Laos, Vietnam, Cameroon, and Ethiopia. Many projects are broadly related to the Belt and Road without having a specific regional or national location.

Of the 34 different INGOs and foundations included in the complete dataset, 17 INGOs and foundations work on environmental issues, including ClientEarth, Conservation International, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

These environmental organizations and their Chinese partners most often carry out environmental activities that include dialogue, research, and training. Workshops, conferences and exchanges will include INGOs, Chinese partners and overseas counterparts. For example, Traffic, a UK-based INGO focused on wildlife and biodiversity, hosted an online meeting In November 2020, customs authorities from China, Cameroon, and the Republic of Congo discuss strategies to combat illegal trade in wildlife and timber from Africa to China.

A number of collaborative studies have investigated the impact of China’s overseas investments. Examples include Greenpeace East Asia and the Sichuan Circular Economy Research Center. Co-authored the report In 2019, we are studying wind energy investments along the Belt and Road. INGOs and foundations have frequently partnered with Chinese actors on environmental training. In December 2017, WWF and China International Contractors Association held a meeting and training seminar in Cameroon China’s new guidelines for sustainable infrastructure abroad Targeting Chinese state-owned enterprises.

These joint projects involve various Chinese actors.

1. China’s central government agency. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment are the most frequent participants.
2. Industry group. Industry associations, such as the China Soybean Industry Association and the China Wood and Wood Products Distribution Association, are the second most common type of partner.
3. research institutes and universities. Some high-level government agencies are key collaborators, including NDRC’s Energy Research Institute and Peking University.
4. Chinese state-owned enterprises, private enterprises, and NGOs. Corporations, foundations, independent or governmental NGOs are engaged in a small number of projects.

Future path of partnership

Our database provides a snapshot of INGOs and Chinese environmental projects abroad. Early activities tended to be low-stakes interactions, such as conferences, workshops, and collaborative research. However, given China’s emphasis on environmental sustainability, we expect the form and frequency of these projects to intensify in the future.Xi Jinping’s speech The 3rd Belt and Road International Cooperation Forum held in October 2023 emphasized green development in infrastructure, energy and transportation. With President Xi’s call,small but smart infrastructure investment, The INGO-China project provides a new pathway to address environmental risks from China’s overseas investments.

While there are many reasons to praise the efforts of INGOs and their Chinese partners, there are also important caveats. These partnerships pose unique challenges, including different incentives for both parties and misunderstandings about “value-add.” For example, one INGO representative said in an interview that different Chinese stakeholders have different receptivity to cooperation with foreign INGOs. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment was more responsive to their efforts, while the Ministry of Commerce, SASAC, and NDRC were less inclined to cooperate. Some government agencies do not have the authority to encourage collaboration with environmental INGOs.

To develop these partnerships, it is important that INGOs strive to understand the incentives and goals of their prospective Chinese partners. INGOs should also prioritize monitoring and evaluation of these early partnerships to share best practices and highlight areas of mutual benefit between Chinese partners and the broader global INGO community. It is.

Surprisingly, we find that these partnerships abroad often mirror the same thing. constraints Imposed on INGOs and their partners in China. For example, the overwhelming majority of projects involve INGOs with registered representative offices in China, perhaps as a result of which projects focus on areas that are permitted and encouraged by the Chinese government, such as environmental issues. I’m guessing.

INGOs’ interactions with overseas Chinese partners reflect the dynamics of their activities within China, with more collaboration with central government ministries than with Chinese social actors such as NGOs, foundations, and GONGOs. INGOs will therefore consider the potential limitations of these partnerships and how the priorities set in Beijing will continue to shape incentives for Chinese actors to collaborate with international nonprofits abroad. There is a need.