Der har i weekenden været stormøde om det store projekt Belt and Road. Initiativet skal føre landene i Eurasien tættere sammen, udviklingsmæssigt og handelsmæssigt.
Der er også grønne takter i det store initiativ. Sluterklæringen rummer en opfordring til alle lande om at holde fast i den globale klimaaftale, Paris-aftalen. Greenpeace East Asia fryder sig over formuleringerne.
Under pressemeddelelsen fra Greenpeace er en kommentar fra UNEPs (FN's Miljøorganisation) formand, norske Erik Solheim, som ligeldes ser gode, grønne elementer i det 21. århundredes silkevej.
Beijing, 15 May 2017 (Greenpeace East Asia): Participants in China’s Belt and Road initiative have called on all parties that ratified the Paris Agreement to implement it in full, as part of a communique to be released following China’s Belt and Road forum.
The document comes as top aides of US President Donald Trump clash over whether to quit the landmark climate accord.
In reaction to the communique, Li Shuo, climate policy advisor at Greenpeace East Asia, said:
“As the Trump administration ponders its approach to the Paris Agreement, the signal from Beijing should be clearly noted. While China is taking an active stance on the global stage, a move to weaken the global climate regime will alienate the US. It will also harm the delicate bilateral relationship between Beijing and Washington.”
The communique represents China’s latest effort to take on a larger climate leadership role. Last Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to defend the Paris Agreement during a phone call with French President-elect Emmanuel Macron [2]. In January, Xi urged Trump to remain in the agreement during a speech at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos [3].
Last Friday, Greenpeace released a statement calling for environmental accountability to be prioritized within China’s Belt and Road initiative [4].
The statement urged that environmental impact assessments be integrated into the Belt and Road initiative, that a wide range of stakeholders be included in the design of the evaluation process and that companies with poor environmental records abroad be named within China.
Kommentar fra UNEP
This week in Beijing sees the first-ever Belt and Road Summit, where UN Environment and China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection are announcing an International Coalition of organizations to ensure the Belt and Road initiative brings long-term, planet-friendly growth. Erik Solheim, Head of UN Environment, explains why this is so important.
There was a time not long ago when most big social and economic challenges were domestic. With good policy and implementation, many countries could tackle these problems alone. China’s recent success bringing millions of people out of poverty is the perfect example.
But today, our challenges are not only domestic, and they are not only social and economic.
Climate change, pollution, and losing iconic species like the tiger and elephant are environmental issues that spill over borders.
And today, issues like poverty, inequality, peace and security are not only the domain of single countries.
Global challenges
These are global challenges. So they must be tackled collectively by working together.
A number of countries are leading the way in fostering international cooperation. China, with its One Belt, One Road initiative, is one of them.
Evidence of this can be seen in Ethiopia, where China is helping to build a metro system in Addis Ababa. In addition to clean and affordable transportation, it will provide many Ethiopians with a source of livelihood.
In Kenya, the Standard Gauge Railway Project will link the port of Mombasa first with Nairobi, and ultimately with neighboring Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan. And in recent years, Chinese companies have led renewable energy projects in places like Pakistan, Thailand and the Philippines.
Great progress
Such massive investment in development is on a scale never before seen. There is great progress to be made on security, economic and social challenges.
The UN Security Council has noted that the Belt and Road initiative can help rebuild war-torn Afghanistan, for example.
But we cannot forget the other global challenge that we must face together: protecting the environment.
UN Environment also recognizes the potential of the Belt and Road initiative to improve people’s lives.
Yet we also know how important it is to do this sustainably. If we do not make Belt and Road efforts sustainable and climate friendly, we put the world at risk from worsening pollution and severe climate change. If done right, millions can see the benefits of green growth.
Now is the time to do it right and make Belt and Road as green as possible.
Agreement with Chinese Ministry
This is why last December UN Environment signed an agreement with the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection to promote the sustainable development of the Belt and Road.
There are many ways we will support. Our environmental expertise runs from sustainable finance and clean technologies to ecosystems and sustainable consumption and production.
UN Environment can support technology transfer and creating green economy policies. Through our Finance Initiative, we can work with private investors to promote sustainable investment practices along the Belt and Road.
But we cannot do it alone. Many other stakeholder groups, investors, and businesses have valuable expertise to bring to the table. And many Belt and Road countries have asked specifically for such support to make sure that the Belt and Road initiative helps them meet their sustainable development needs.
Coalition
And so, at the Belt and Road Summit in Beijing this week, UN Environment and China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection will announce the International Coalition for Green Development on Belt and Road.
Together, UN Environment and China will bring together dozens of partner organizations in this coalition. We want to draw knowledge the largest body of environmental expertise possible to ensure that Belt and Road brings long-term, planet-friendly growth.
The Summit this week will bring together a significant portion of that expertise. I see it as the beginning of a close collaboration and hope to grow our coalition. We all want the Belt and Road initiative to fulfill its promise as a positive force for development. We must work together to ensure that development is sustainable.
