…[T]he China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) …is a package of infrastructure projects worth US$ 46 billion (308 billion yuan). About two thirds of this funding…is committed towards establishing energy and power projects in Pakistan…But [an expert] emphasises the need for more rigorous research and documentation in order to evaluate whether the economic benefits of large-scale infrastructure projects outweigh the social and environmental costs…Greater transparency and accountability is required to minimise risk of corruption...

…[A] sustainability expert…suggests inserting environmental and social clauses into the contracts to minimise the projects’ negative impacts with independent agencies monitoring the projects at all stages to ensure compliance...The CPEC’s energy projects, which include several coal fired power plants, will also contribute to a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Ironically, under the CPEC agreements, China and Pakistan have also signed a MOU to address global threats such as climate change…

...Strong leadership is required to steer [Pakistan] through the path of sustainable development. It is the Pakistani authorities’ responsibility to ensure that worker’s rights are protected, environmental and social externalities accounted for and the affected parties duly compensated for damages…