China must move beyond 'greening' Belt and Road

LONDON - Oct. 14, 2017 - PRLog -- Earth Security Group has today launched a CEO Briefing for Energy Infrastructure in China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), providing BRI investors, planners, infrastructure companies and policymakers with an evaluation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) priorities for the regional security and prosperity.

The briefing focuses on Central Asia, as BRI's immediate sphere of influence across China's western borders. It shows why the region's security and stability require energy infrastructure investments to align more strategically with SDGs. It highlights Central Asia's chronic water challenges and how local concern for jobs challenges long-term security of energy infrastructure investments on China's BRI. It notes that decoupling energy production from water is one of the key opportunities for BRI to build a long-term positive influence in the region.

Recommendations from the Briefing include adopting the SDG framework to move beyond 'green' issues to a more inter-connected view of inclusive growth priorities; linking environmental issues, such as embedding water scarcity and carbon emissions with the social priorities of local markets.

More specifically it recommends that the Chinese government and BRI investors develop the blueprint for a United Renewable Energy System of Central Asia (URESCA).  China's development banks should support and facilitate a dialogue on Central Asia's clean power corridors of the future to build trust and to enable countries in the region to coordinate energy strategies, investment plans and implement measures of collective energy security.

Earth Security Group CEO, Alejandro Litovsky, noted, "BRI will open massive new opportunities for trade and investment in frontier markets, energy infrastructure investments are a backbone of BRI and must be protected. We believe that the move to a more inter-connected view of inclusive growth priorities will protect investments by reducing resource stress in the region, securing jobs and building trust."

The use and value of the report was outlined by its key supporters; Zoe Knight, Group Head, HSBC Centre of Sustainable Finance HSBC commented "This report's clear and powerful analysis sets out both how to integrate ESG issues strategically and how to focus
on SDG impacts that are material to economic growth. Crucially for SDG implementation, the Earth Security Group has created a framework, which translates the aims set out by the goals into tangible metrics for corporates and investors."

For more information on the CEO Briefing, and to download a copy: www.earthsecuritygroup.com/strategy-briefs/ceo-briefing-energy-infrastructure-chinas-belt-road-initiative

This brief is part of our Earth Security Report 2017. Download the full report from www.earthsecuritygroup.com