The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is China's effort to enhance inter-regional connectivity through infrastructure, trade, policy, finance, and people. It involves building six economic corridors connecting China to Central and South Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The BRI spans over 60 countries containing 39% of the world's land area and over half of global GDP, trade, and CO2 emissions. It presents both opportunities such as green finance and technologies, as well as challenges like environmental degradation. The UN Environment aims to support sustainable development through the BRI by providing guidance, capacity building, and facilitating multi-stakeholder cooperation.

1. Sustainable Development and the Belt
Road Initiative
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Rowan Palmer
Resources and Markets Branch,
UN Environment
Contact: rowan.palmer@un.org

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What is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)?
• In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced China's intention to revive
the ancient trade route as the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century
Maritime Silk Road.
Source: merics.org

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What is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)?
• Known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China's efforts are expected to enhance
inter-regional connectivity by focusing on five areas of cooperation: infrastructure,
trade, policy, finance and people.
Source: Navigating the Belt and Road, Leading by infrastructure, the "One Belt, One Road" initiative steadily moves
forward, EY, 2017.

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• The initiative will build six transnational economic corridors
– 1) a new Eurasia land bridge of economic corridor
– 2) a China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor
– 3) a China- Central Asia-West Asia economic corridor
– 4) Indochina Peninsula economic corridor
– 5) China- Pakistan economic corridor
– 6) Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar economic corridor
• There is also potential for the BRI to expand to Latin America
What is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)?
Source: The Belt and Road Initiative, HKTDC Research, May 2017

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• BRI spans more than 60 countries across from Asia, the Middle East, Europe
and Africa.
Source: Chinese spending lures countries to its belt and road initiative, Bloomberg News, May 2017
What is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)?

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What is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)?
• BRI countries represent: 39% of the earth total land area
62% of the world's population
31% of global GDP
24% of global household consumption
55% of total CO2 emission
40% of global trade
Source: data drawn from World Bank database 2015

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The Belt and Road Initiative is already underway:
• 45+ Belt and Road cooperation agreements between China and other
governments, international organizations
• 56 trade and economic cooperation zones have been established along the Belt
and Road
Source: Chinese spending lures countries to its belt and road initiative, Bloomberg News, May 2017
What is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)?

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Belt and Road Initiative and the SDGs
Source: The United Nations.
Size and Scope of the Belt and Road Initiative means that
it will have important impacts across multiple aspects of
sustainable development

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Belt and Road Initiative and the SDGs
Challenges
– Significant loss of natural habitat (on-shore and/or off –shore);
– Land acquisition leading to loss of access to source of livelihood;
– Climate change-long term impact from ozone depletion and global warming
from greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption;
– Supply chain and revenue transparency,
– Sustainable community development,
– unsustainable infrastructure and technology lock-in
The China Export-Import Bank is financing 90% of the ongoing development of the Mombasa-Nairobi section
of a standard gauge railway in Kenya, that will cut through Nairobi National Park.
Source: CNN
Photograph: The Guardian, Artist’s impression of the proposed railway viaduct crossing Nairobi National
Park. Credits: Kenya Railways.

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– Infrastructure
– Industrial projects
– Environmental cooperation
– Green finance and trade
– Green technologies
Great Stone, China-Belarus Industrial Park.
Source: IndustrialparkDC
China is a world leader in green finance.
Source: HSBC and IISD
Jakarta to Bandung High-Speed Rail.
Source: Railway Technology
The MEP issued the Eco-environmental Protection
Cooperation Plan For the BRI.
Source: China Environment Media
China now five of the world’s six large solar-module
manufacturing firms and the largest wind-turbine
manufacturer.
Source: the Guardian, Tyrone Siu, Reuters.
Opportunities

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• Policy dialogues
• Sharing best practices and lessons
learned
• Capacity building for BRI
stakeholders
• Sustainable finance
Support national
policies that enhance
environmentally
sustainable
investment.
• Ecosystems services and goods
• Strengthening national legal
frameworks
• Scientific assessment and data
Strengthen
environmental
governance
• Green trade and technology transfer
• Engage banks and other financial
institutions, private sector
Increase in
sustainable BRI
investments
UN Environment and the Belt and Road

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Policy
Guidance
Public
Communication
Capacity
Building
Resources
Integration &
Information
Sharing
Cooperation &
Exchange
Research &
Consultation
Led by both UN Environment and China
Ministry of Environment Planning
Open to any organization, institution,
investor and business that is interested in
working with UN Environment and its
partners
Assist investors and stakeholders with
promoting green and sustainable
investments
Help BRI countries to achieve goals and
targets associated with the SDGs and the
Paris Agreement
Provide a platform for multi-stakeholder
dialogue, share information, reduce
uncertainty
International Coalition for Green Development on the Belt
and Road
Six Functions of
the Coalition

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Central Asia Context
Build on previous UN Environment Green Economy work in the
region
- China Trust Fund project – GE stocktaking in Central Asia and
Mongolia
- PAGE Kyrgyzstan
- Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System

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Central Asia Context
Questions for Central Asian stakeholders:
1. What is your general knowledge of the BRI ? Which is the
source of your knowledge ?
2. Are you aware of any projects in action or in pipeline that
is coming to your country through BRI ?
3. Are you involved in some consultation?
4. What do you think about BRI 's role re: the SDGs and
2030 Agenda?
5. Specifically what type of information and support do you
need re: BRI?

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Thank you