"Roundtable: What environmental standards should Chinese firms use overseas?", 21 Oct 2016

A rigorous approach to environmental risks abroad could help Chinese companies boost market share and protect reputations, say experts…​The Chinese government expects to invest trillions of dollars in large-scale infrastructure projects such as railways, container ports and power stations in OBOR countries…There are particular concerns about China’s efforts to back coal power plants. One area of debate is the use of “ultra-low emissions” technology, which refers to thermal power plants that use integrated, high-efficiency pollution scrubbers to reduce some types of emissions to the levels permitted for natural-gas powered plants. Such plants do not cover the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

A group of eight Chinese and foreign Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), including Oxfam and the Global Environmental Institute, have called on the Chinese government to take the lead in setting new green standards. In September it launched the China Green Leadership: Belt and Road Green Development project. At the launch event chinadialogue asked three experts what environmental standards Chinese firms working overseas should apply…