Green development or greenwashing? A political ecology perspective on China’s green Belt and Road

Harlan, Tyler

doi:10.1080/15387216.2020.1795700

Cited by 79 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…However, it has been observed that greenwashing is extensively used by the private sector and the government to promote an environment-friendly outlook (Harlan, 2021). Thus, the environmental hazards are overshadowed by vast publicity of projects’ developmental effects and public support is gained through extensive advertisement (White, 2003).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Environmental impact assessment of CPEC: a way forward for sustainable development

Khalid

Ahmad

Ullah

2021

IJDI

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Purpose Human-induced changes in climate have affected the environment to the extent that any more economic development at the cost of the environment will be too costly. Thus, sustainable development options posing no additional harm to the environment are the only viable option. This study aims to examine the likely environmental impacts of infrastructural developments through the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Design/methodology/approach There is a scarcity of academic debate and discussion on the environmental impact of CPEC developments in laws and policies on the environment. The qualitative approach is followed in this study and official documents and reports are used to investigate the environmental challenges posed by CPEC. Findings The findings show three possible environmental concerns which could increase the climate change vulnerability of Pakistan. The coal-fired power plants are the most prominent threat based on their CO2 contributions and smog. Second, cutting more than 54,000 trees for roads infrastructure will increase CO2 concentration along the CPEC route. Third, increasing vehicle trafficking by up to 7,000 trucks per day on Karakorum Highway alone will release 36.5 million tons of additional CO2. Originality/value It is essential to rethink the environmental cost of CPEC. The study suggests economic and legal cooperation between Pakistan and China as a way forward to deal with climate change issues. Environmental laws should be a vital part of CPEC projects to ensure their safety, security and sustainability.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, the environmental hazards are overshadowed by vast publicity of projects’ developmental effects and public support is gained through extensive advertisement (White, 2003). Therefore, the ideological campaign to increase public awareness about the environment remains ineffective and environmental degradation continues (Harlan, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental impact assessment of CPEC: a way forward for sustainable development

Khalid

Ahmad

Ullah

2021

IJDI

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“…However, BRI also advocates inclusiveness, respects differences, and encourages communications among civilizations. The impact of such collaborations remains to be seen, as risks are also noted [140,141].…”

Section: China In the Era Of Sdgs (2015-present): Advancing The Effortmentioning

confidence: 99%

Situating China in the Global Effort to Combat Desertification

Zheng-hong

Stringer

Paavola

et al. 2021

Land

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International efforts to tackle desertification led by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) support participatory approaches. The emphasis has been on dialogue between different perspectives, which are often grounded in individualism rather than prioritizing society as a whole, and as a result progress in implementation has been slow. China has made substantial progress in tackling desertification, but its approaches have been controversial, and the sustainability of its achievements has been questioned. While China has been active in UNCCD processes, its approach to addressing desertification has differed from those of other countries. China can thus offer important insights into the international campaign, while acknowledging that China can also learn from the efforts of others. We compare the UNCCD’s “bottom-up” approach and China’s “top-down” approach to better understand the challenges of tackling desertification. We examine the evolution in how desertification has been addressed and shed light on the context behind the changes, focusing on the role of science, policies, and public participation. We find a convergence between top-down and bottom-up approaches and that similar challenges have been experienced. Constant communications with outsiders have enabled adjustments and changes in both China and the international community, even though their approaches remain distinct. We conclude that both approaches are moving toward solutions that start from proactive investments of governments in financial, legal, institutional, and organizational aspects, draw on scientific insights, and which are grounded in the motivated and voluntary participation of non-state actors. Improved sharing of lessons across these approaches would help to create a better enabling form of environmental governance that contributes to tackling desertification.

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“…Coenen et al (2021) further find that China is actively and rapidly developing an institutional architecture of green BRI. However, it remains unclear if the claim of green BRI will eventually lead to green development or greenwashing (Harlan, 2021). Zhao et al (2021) find that the productivity growth effect does not contribute significantly to green growth in BRI countries, but the potential output change effect does.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Counterfactual Baseline for Assessing Future Environmental Impact: A Case Study of the Belt and Road Initiative

Cheong

Shi

2021

Front. Environ. Sci.

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The impact of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on the environment is an important but controversial topic. But assessing it faces a significant challenge for separating its policy impact from the overall effect of economic development that will also have environmental impacts. This paper attempts to provide an evolutionary and counterfactual baseline to evaluate the environmental impact of BRI, based on the distribution dynamics approach and the mobility probability plots (MPPs). Our estimation results suggest that while the majority of BRI economies will lower their emission levels compared with the world average, there are significant differences between BRI and non-BRI countrie’s emission patterns and dynamics. The majority of non-BRI economies will have lower emission levels than their BRI counterparts in the absence of BRI policy, indicating that the difference in future emissions between BRI and non-BRI countries should not be completely attributed to the environmental impact of BRI. Instead, BRI should take measures to prevent certain countries from moving upwards energy intensity paths through policy intervention, international cooperation, and an inclusive project assessment process.

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Green development or greenwashing? A political ecology perspective on China’s green Belt and Road

Cited by 79 publications

References 57 publications

Environmental impact assessment of CPEC: a way forward for sustainable development

Environmental impact assessment of CPEC: a way forward for sustainable development

Situating China in the Global Effort to Combat Desertification

A Counterfactual Baseline for Assessing Future Environmental Impact: A Case Study of the Belt and Road Initiative

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