Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition (BRIGC)

Belt and Road Initiative Green Coalition (BRI GC)
Belt and Road Initiative Green Coalition (BRIGC)

The Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition (BRIGC) was established after the second Belt and Road Forum in April 2019. The BRIGC is supervised by the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) with its own secretariat.

The main goal of the BRIGC is

“to promote international consensus, understanding, cooperation and concerted actions to realize green development on the Belt and Road, to integrate sustainable development into the BRI through joint efforts and to facilitate BRI participating countries to realize SDGs related to environment and development.”

(BRIGC)

The BRIGC is open to participation to government departments, local and international organizations, think tanks, private sector stakeholders, civil society organizations.

Accordingly, over 130 Chinese and international organizations have joined the initiative, including:

China International
Belt and Road Environmental Technology Exchange and Transfer Center (Shenzhen) Children Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF)
BRI GC Secretariat (within Ministry of Ecology and Environment) ClientEarth
China Highway & Transportation Society (CHTS) Energy Foundation
Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)
Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)
International Institute of Green Finance (IIGF) International Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD)
National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC) International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Transport Planning and Research Institute (TPRI) Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources in Singapore
Tsinghua University UNEP
  World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
  World Resources Institute (WRI)
  WWF

The work of the BRI GC is divided into 10 thematic partnerships:

  1. Biodiversity and ecosystem management
  2. Green energy and energy efficiency
  3. Green finance and investments
  4. Improvement of environmental quality and green cities
  5. South-south environmental cooperation and SDG capacity building
  6. Green technology, innovation and corporate social responsibility
  7. Sustainable transportation
  8. Climate change governance and green transformation
  9. Environmental legislation and standards
  10. Maritime community with a shared future and marine environment governance

The thematic partnerships are led by both Chinese and international partners. Each working group develops their own work plan and shares progress with the overall BRI GC.

Thematic partnership Chinese partner(s) International partner(s)
Biodiversity and ecosystem management 1. International Environmental Cooperation Center, Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEEE)
2. Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment
3. Center for Satellite Application on Ecology and Environment, Ministry of Ecology and Environment
1. UNEP International Ecosystem Management Partnership
2. International Union for Conservation of Nature
3. Conservation International
4. WWF International
Green energy and energy efficiency   Energy Research Institute (ERI), National Development and Reform Commission Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO)
Green finance and investment   Center for Finance and Development of Tsinghua National Institute of Financial Research 1. International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) 
2. World Resources Institute (WRI)   
Improvement of environmental quality and green cities   1. Belt and Road Environmental Technology Exchange and Transfer Center (Shenzhen)
2. Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, Ministry of Ecology and Environment
1. World Resources Institute (WRI)   
South-south environmental cooperation and SDGs capacity building   1. International Environmental Cooperation Center, Ministry of Ecology and Environment
2. China Center for International Knowledge on Development , Development Research Center of the State Council
1. United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation 
2.Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)
Green technology, innovation and corporate social responsibility 1. China Business Council for Sustainable Development
2. China Everbright International Limited
World Business Council for Sustainable Development  (WBCSD)  
Sustainable transportation   1. Transport Planning and Research Institute (TPRI), Ministry of Transport
2. China Highway and Transportation Society (CH>TS)  
International Road Federation (IRU)
Climate change governance and green transformation National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation  1. Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) 
2. Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) 
3. Energy Foundation (EF) Beijing Representative Office
Environmental legislation and standards      
Maritime community with a shared future and marine environment governance    

The BRIGC meets regularly, for example in October 2021 in Beijing.

The full reports of the BRIGC activities can be found on their website.