This page provides a unique database and overview of policies and guidelines relevant for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI policies and guidelines are usually issued by by relevant Chinese ministries and government institutions, such as State Council, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and others.
These guidelines and policies collected in the database directly or indirectly impact the sustainability and environmental management of Chinese overseas investments and projects in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and beyond.
| Date (MM/DD/YYYY) | Name of Document | Published by | Description | Keywords | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/02/2022 | Green Finance Guidelines for Banking and Insurance Industry | China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) | The Guidelines highlight the responsibilities of financial institutions and insurance companies to apply international or Chinese standards for overseas lending | - loans - project finance - international standards | Link to Guidelines |
| 03/16/2022 | Opinions on promoting the green development of "One Belt, One Road" | National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE): | The Opinions specify various cooperation areas to become more green (e.g., green finance, green infrastructure, green standards), stipulate environmental regulation for overseas engagement, encourage application of international standards | - green infrastructure - green finance - green energy - green transport - green standards - Chinese or international standards | Link to document (in Chinese) |
| 01/06/2022 | Guidelines for Ecological Environmental Protection of Foreign Investment Cooperation and Construction Projects | Ministry of Commerce (MofCom), Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) | The guidelines lay out the responsibilities of enterprises engaging in overseas projects and investments (e.g., mergers). It specifies specific sector responsibilities for environmental protection (e.g., energy, mining) and includes a stipulation for application of international best practices for environmental impact assessments (EIA) and better reporting. | - overseas project finance - environmental impact assessment (EIA) - environmental reporting - host country principles - international standards | Link to Guidelines |
| 07/16/2021 | Green Development Guidelines for Overseas Investment and Cooperation | Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM),Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) | The first-ever Chinese government policy guiding the Chinese enterprises to “follow international green rules and standards” in overseas activities. | - green development - green production/operation - green infrastructure - ecological and environmental risk - green overseas economics and trade cooperation zones - green regulatory services | Link |
| 05/28/2021 | Guiding Opinions on Strengthening Ecological Environment Protection in Pilot Free Trade Zones and Promoting High-quality Development | Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE); Ministry of Commerce (MOC); National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC); Housing and Urban-Rural Development; People's Bank of China (PBoC); General Administration of Customs; National Energy Board; State Forestry and Grassland Administration | The guiding opinions guide the pilot free trade zone to strengthen ecological environmental protection, address ecological and environmental protection, and promote high-quality economic development. | - Free Trade Zones - Green trade and supply chain - Renewable Energy - Green transportation - Carbon market - Ecosystem protection and restoration | Link |
| 10/21/2020 | Guiding Opinions on Promoting Investment and Financing to Address Climate Change | Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), People's Bank of China (PBoC), China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC), and China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) | The guidance spells out climate finance ambitions at home and in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), including a possibility to move away from the host-country principle. | - climate finance - international standards on climate investment - mitigation, adaptation - regulation of offshore investments | Link to "Guidance on promoting investment and financing to address climate change" |
| 04/28/2019 | Belt and Road Cooperation: For a Better World | Belt and Road Forum Advisory Council | The report takes stock and gives recommendations how to improve the Belt and Road cooperation | - governance - green finance - corruption - multilateral cooperation | Link |
| 04/27/2019 | List of Deliverables of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation | n/a | The document lays out 283 results in six categories: - initiatives proposed or launched by China - bilateral and multilateral documents signed during or immediately before the second BRF - multilateral cooperation mechanisms under the BRF framework - investment projects and project lists - financing projects - projects by local authorities and enterprises | - BRI achievements | Link |
| 04/27/2019 | Joint Communique of the Leaders' Roundtable of the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation | Belt and Road Forum | The final communique of the Belt and Road Forum 2019 with signatures from 38 heads of government, one vice president, the UN Secretary General and IMF's Managing Director. It lays out ambitions of the Belt and Road Initiative. | - policy synergy - green finance - green belt and road - infrastructure | Link |
| 04/26/2019 | President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Forum Keynote speech | Belt and Road Forum | Speech laying out Chinese President Xi's vision for the next phase of the Belt and Road Initiative. | - Belt and Road Forum - clean growth - green finance | Link |
| 04/25/2019 | Debt Sustainability Framework for Participating Countries of the Belt and Road Initiative | Ministry of Finance of People's Republic of China | The debt sustainability framework (BRI-DSF) is applicable to the debt sustainability analysis of BRI low income countries. It is a non-mandatory policy framework to conduct debt sustainability analysis and manage debt risks to support lending decisions. | - debt sustainability - debt trap - BRI | Link |
| 04/22/2019 | The Belt and Road Initiative Progress, Contributions and Prospects | Office of the Leading Group for Promoting the Belt and Road Initiative | A list of achievements regarding - policy coordination, - infrastructure connectivity, - unimpeded trade - financial integration - closer people-to-people ties - industrial cooperation and ambitious prospects, such as - peace - prosperity - opening up - green development - innovation - connected civilizations - clean government | - achievements of BRI - contributions of BRI - prospects of BRI | Link |
| 02/14/2019 | Green Industry Guidance Catalog (2019 Edition) | - National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) - Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) - Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) - Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) - Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MoHURD) - People's Bank of China (PBOC) - National Energy Board | The China green industry guidance serves to guide e.g. public investments into "green" industries. While not directly relevant to the BRI, it is a yardstick for China's green financial industry. | - Green industry - clean coal | Link to China's Green Industry Catalogue (2019) |
| 12/01/2018 | Belt and Road Green Investment Principles (GIP) | Green Finance Leadership Program | Non-binding principles for public and commercial banks to invest in green investments. The document was signed by some 30 banks during the 2nd BRI Forum in April 2019. | - sustainable finance - green finance - commercial banks | Link |
| 03/14/2018 | Approval Procedures for Large-scale Export Credit and Export Credit Insurance Projects | Ministry of Commerce of People's Republic of China; ; Ministry of Finance of People's Republic of China; The People's Bank of China; China Banking Regulatory Commission | Approval Procedures for Large-scale Export Credit and Export Credit insurance Projects, to manage project risks. | - Export Credit - Export Credit Insurance | Link |
| 01/26/2018 | China's Arctic Policy - Artic Silk Road White Paper | State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China | The guidance document to develop the artic | - sustainable development of the Artic | Link |
| 12/05/2017 | Vision and Actions on Energy Cooperation in Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road | National Development and Reform commission (NDRC), National Energy Administration (NEA) | White paper laying out energy cooperation in the BRI | - energy cooperation - "green and low-carbon development of regional energy" | Link |
| 05/16/2017 | Joint Communique of Leaders' Roundtable of Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation | Belt and Road Forum | The document lays out ideals and cooperation modes for the Belt and Road Initiative. It was signed by 31 heads of state, the Secretary-General of the UN, the President of the World Bank Group and the Managing Director of the IMF. | - international cooperation - economic growth - mutual benefit - consultation on equal footing - balance and sustainability | Link |
| 05/16/2017 | Guiding Principles on Financing the Belt and Road | Ministry of Finance of People's Republic of China | The principles were signed by finance ministers from 27 finance ministers (including China, Hungary, Cambodia, UK, Switzerland). They focus on cooperation, innovation and the important role in infrastructure. | - finance ministers - cooperation | Link |
| 05/14/2017 | The Belt and Road Ecological and Environmental Cooperation Plan | Ministry of Environmental Protection(MEP) | The document lays out cooperation on eco-environmental protection in the BRI. It elaborates on several priority areas, including "Study on Green Investment and Financing". | - environmental protection - green finance - international cooperation | Link |
| 05/14/2017 | The Belt and Road Ecological and Environmental Cooperation Plan | Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) (now Ministry of Ecology and Environment) | High-level ambitious plan to make the Belt and Road Initiative ecologically sustainable, while abiding to local laws. | - ecological civilization - environmental action | Link |
| 05/08/2017 | Guidance on Promoting Green Belt and Road | Ministry of Ecology and Environment of People's Republic of China | A summary of high-level opinions on greening the Belt and Road Initiative, including ecological civilization philosophy, environmental governance and high-level ambitions. | - environmental protection - ecological civilization - environmental governance - Green Belt and Road Initiative | Link |
| 04/08/2017 | Guidelines on Further Guiding and Regulating Overseas Investments | National Development and Reform commission (NDRC), Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), People's Bank of China (PBOC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) | Guidelines laying out regulations for overseas investments, including "green, open, harmounious, shared, win-win, opening-up guiding principles | - prohibiting investments in areas that endanger national interest and security | Link in English Link in Chinese |
| 08/31/2016 | Guidance on Establishing the Green Financial System | - People's Bank of China (PBOC) - Ministry of Finance (MOF) - Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) - Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEE) - China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC/CBIRC) - Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC/CSIRC)) - China Insurance Regulatory Commission | The guidance is the foundation of the green financial system of China. Although it has only indirect bearing for China's overseas finance, it is nevertheless the yardstick for China's green financial development | - Green credit - green insurance - green financial system - green bonds | Link to Guidance on Establishing the Green Financial System |
| 03/30/2015 | Vision and Actions on Jointly Building Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road | National Development and Reform commission (NDRC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce (MofCom) | Document laying out the foundations and strategy of the Belt and Road Initiative | - Belt and Road fundamentals - BRI priorities - BRI cooperation mechanisms | Link |
| 03/01/2013 | Environment Protection for Overseas Investment and Cooperation | Ministry of Commerce (MofCom), Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) (now Ministry of Ecology and Environment MEE) | The guidance document adopts a host-country approach, recommends enterprises to conduce environmental impact assessment and appraisal with respect to host country regulation, comply with the host country emission standards, protect and compensate for ecosystem and biodiversity in local context, and encourages enterprises to release environmental performance information. | - BRI environmental protection and environmental performance for enterprises | Link (in English) |