ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE OF BELT & ROAD INITIATIVE: A POLYCENTRIC VIEW

Abstract

The Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) is China's most significant economic ambition, and it has remained the center of attention in global politics since its launch in 2013. The infrastructural developments under BRI in more than 140 partner countries, particularly from developing and under-developed countries, will have far-reaching effects on global environmental governance. This research adopted a polycentric approach to explore institutional development in China to support its vision of green BRI, paying attention to the role of key stakeholders, policies, and environmental governance initiatives taken so far. The qualitative approach followed in this research found that the institutional framework of green BRI depends on the voluntary participation of business organizations. The self-governance principle is adopted in a variety of bilateral and multilateral sustainability initiatives. However, the achievement of the green BRI vision through the enforcement of stringent environmental regulations hinges not only on the priorities of China but also on the political and economic priorities of partner countries. This research concludes by outlining several challenges to global environmental governance and directions for future research.