Arianna Americo & Ge Xingfang C H A N G E P A R T N E R S H I P & S O U T H - N O R T H I N S T I T U T E F O R S U S T A I N A B L E D E V E L O P M E N T HOW TO ENSURE CLEAN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS IN THE BELT AND ROAD INITIVATIVE? Arianna Americo & Ge Xingfang TODAY IS AN IMPORTANT DAY AND I AM VERY GLAD TO SPEAK WITH YOU BECAUSE WE BELIEVE YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

WHAT IS THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE? THE FIRST QUESTION THAT WE NEED TO ANSWER IS: WHAT IS THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE? LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, THIS IS BIG IT WILL LINK EURASIAN COUNTRIES WITH NEW RAILWAY, NEW BRIDGES, NEW PORTS, NEW ROADS. CONNECTING CITIES TOGETHER. THOUSANDS OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJETS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE NEXT 10 TO 20 YEARS THIS IS HAPPENING NOW WHILE WE SPEAK

THE MOST AMBITIOUS INITIATIVE SINCE THE MARSHALL PLAN WHY DO WE CARE? THE MOST AMBITIOUS INITIATIVE SINCE THE MARSHALL PLAN WHY DO WE CARE? THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT CONNECTING CHINA AND EUROPE TOGETHER THIS IS ABOUT: 64 COUNTRIES 4 CONTINENTS 4.6 BILLION PEOPLE AND 62% OF THE WORLD POPULATION For the first time we are linking Eurasia together. The Belt and Road will link 64 countries in 4 continents, with a total population of 4.6 billion people, 62% of world’s total!

The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation “We are determined to take urgent action on climate change” SO WE HAVE MANY PROJECTS, A LOT OF PEOPLE…. HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS SUISTAINABLE? LAST MAY AT THE The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation 29 FOREIGN HEAD OF STATE SIGNED A STATEMENT ONE OF THE POINT WAS: TO TAKE URGENT ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND DELIVER THE PARIS AGREEMENT WE BELIEVE THAT CIVIL SOCIETY SHOULD MAKE THEM KEEP THEIR PROMISE HOW IS THE CURRENT SITUATION? I TOLD YOU THAT YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY BECAUSE TODAY WE ARE HERE TO MAKE THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE THE BELT AND ROAD HAS THE POTENTIAL OF CREATING A NEW GEOPOLITICAL LANDSCAPE LAST MAY 29 FOREIGN HEAD OF STATE PARTICIPATED The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation AND SIGNED THE COMMUNIQUE DELEGATION THEIR THIS IS AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT THAT CONFIRM CHINA’S AND THE OTHER COUNTRIES COMMITMENT TO THE PARIS AGREEMENT

RISK OF LOCKING IN AN ENORMOUS REGION IN FOSSIL FUEL DEPENDENCY WHAT PROBLEM ARE WE FACING? RISK OF LOCKING IN AN ENORMOUS REGION IN FOSSIL FUEL DEPENDENCY A key challenge will be to ensure environmentally sustainable investments. Reckless infrastructure building could bring ecological disaster to communities, while unchecked greenhouse gas emissions would fuel dangerous climate change. WHEN SOMETHING SO BIG AND AMBITIOUS IS CARRIED OUT THERE ARE ALWAYS GONNA BE OPPURTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES THE MAJOR RISK WILL BE LOKING IN AN ENORMOUS REGION IN FOSSIL FUEL DEPENDENCY FOR THE NEXT 50 OR 100 YEARS THIS WILL MEAN UNCHECKED GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION ENVIROMANTAL AND SOCIAL DAMAGES AND ULTIMATELY MISSING THE PARIS AGREEMENT TARGETS Environmental problem: avoid fossil fuel and ecological damage and missing the Paris Agreement Political problem: there is no shared vision of where this is going and what the EU and China will look like in 50 years from now Trade problem: agreeing on joint access to markets and avoid trade barriers A key challenge will be to ensure environmentally sustainable investments. Reckless infrastructure building could bring ecological disaster to communities, while unchecked greenhouse gas emissions would fuel dangerous climate change.

240 WHAT DO WE NEED TO AVOID? CURRENTLY THERE ARE COAL-FIRED POWER PROJECTS ALONG THE BELT AND ROAD HOW TO AVOID THIS? WE NEED A CHANGE OF PERSPECTIVE CAN CHINA AND THE EU WORK TOGETHER ON THIS?

WHAT CHINA-EU NEED TO DO? Establish joint leadership in delivering the Paris Agreement through BRI projects: Finance clean infrastructure Connect and build sustainable smart cities Develop clean metal and commodities markets Compliance with high environmental and social governance (ESG) standards Limit warming below 1.5° C The belt and road can be the visionary project that will deliver the Paris Agreement Take SHARED ownership of delivering the Paris agreement (FIRST BULLET POINT) I AM GONNA SHOW YOU HOW THE FUTURE COULD LOOK LIKE WITH AN EXAMPLE SHARED ENVIRONMENTAL STARDAND

CHINA-EU CIVIL SOCIETY OPPORTUNITY FOR CHINA-EU CIVIL SOCIETY WE SHOULD STRIVE FOR: TRANSPARENCY ACCOUNTABILITY SHARED OWNERSHIP SHARED VISION INVESTMENT AGENCY CLEAN MARKETS WE BELIEVE THAT THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE WILL INFLUENCE THE EU-CHINA RELATIONS FOR THE NEXT DECADES WE NEED TO BUILD TRUST AND NOT JUST CONNECT COUNTRIES AND FINALLY WE NEED TO CONNECT THE VISION OF THE BELT AND ROAD INITIAVE WITH THE VISION OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT WE SHOULD STRIVE FOR A SHARED EU-CHINA OWNERSHIP THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE AND MAKE IT BECOME THE FLAGSHIP INITIATIVE IN delivering the Paris agreement WE CAN ONLY DO THIS WITH CIVEL SOCIETY INVOLVMENT AND PARTICIPATION

ESTABLISH A SPECIFIC INVESTMENT AGENCY RECCOMENDATIONS ESTABLISH A JOINT SPECIFIC INVESTMENT AGENCY FOR THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE This agency should include the respective countries and civil society participation and prioritise financing clean infrastructure and avoid fossil fuel stranded assets. XINGFANT TOLD THAT TODAY YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE ONE RECCOMENTATION: ESTABLISH A SPECIFIC INVESTMENT AGENCY This agency should include the respective countries and civil society participation and prioritise financing clean infrastructure and avoid fossil fuel stranded assets.

THANK YOU