As governments and global funds pour billions into oil, gas, renewable energy, digital infrastructure and mining, the future of cross-border investment is becoming a defining issue for environmental protection and climate action. China’s Belt and Road Initiative has been central to this trend, with more than a trillion dollars deployed since the early 2000s and a global footprint that is far more complex than its “green” branding suggests.
Inside Climate News presented a special Climate Week NYC event on Sept. 23 to examine the tensions at the heart of China’s overseas investments. Reporter Katie Surma moderated the discussion with guest speakers Jingjing Zhang of the Center for Transnational Environmental Accountability and Kate Logan of the Asia Society Policy Institute.
Topics included the role of Chinese investment in the global energy transition, gaps between Beijing’s climate diplomacy and on-the-ground realities, the barriers communities and journalists face in seeking accountability, and the broader lessons China’s BRI offers for understanding today’s global resource rush.
Inside Climate News continues to investigate China’s overseas development push through the Planet China series. While the panel was underway, members of the reporting team were across town at the John B. Oakes Award for Distinguished Environmental Journalism ceremony, where Planet China was recognized as a finalist.
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