Since the 2016 Paris Climate Meeting, many observers have hailed China’s steady commitment to addressing the challenges of climate change. Today, China plays a leading role in developing alternative energy sources and has made bold announcements targeting carbon emissions, new construction of coal power-plants, and protection of biodiversity. At the same time, the green Belt Road is poised to become a leading mechanism in Beijing’s overarching vision for environmental protection and sustainable development. Although still at a nascent stage, the green Belt Road now boasts comprehensive guidelines for green investment and actionable policy frameworks to be implemented by Belt Road investors worldwide. China is also in the process of unveiling a green stock index and develop futures trading for carbon emission rights.
Is Beijing in the process of devising a new system of global environmental governance? What would such system look like? How does it align with the pressing need for urgent action on climate and biodiversity? What are some of the challenges and opportunities along the way?
To explore such questions, Dr Kaneti draws on empirical evidence from specific Belt Road projects and anchors her discussion in the conceptual framework of environmental protection as a super wicked problem.
Click and listen to Episode 4 from the following links below: