China’s Belt and Road Initiative Under Fire for Environmental Harm

A policy report released on 23 October 2025 by the Eurasia Review and independent environmental economists has labelled China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) an “economic engine with heavy environmental exhaust.”

The analysis, covering 144 countries, found that BRI infrastructure—highways, ports, pipelines, and coal-related energy projects—has caused deforestation, disrupted wildlife habitats, and spiked carbon emissions in several developing nations.

While the Chinese government has promoted its “Green BRI” pledge since 2021, researchers found only 19 % of new BRI energy investments since then were in renewables. Many others were in coal or natural-gas plants that lock partner countries into long-term fossil dependence.

“BRI’s carbon footprint threatens to offset much of China’s domestic progress in emissions reduction,” said Prof. Jasmin Li of Peking University. “If China truly aims for ecological civilisation, its overseas projects must match that ambition.”

The report calls for:

• Mandatory environmental-impact assessments for all BRI projects.
• A transparent funding mechanism for green infrastructure.
• Collaboration with host nations on biodiversity protection and community safeguards.

In response, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment said it “welcomed constructive feedback” but maintained that “the BRI has already entered a greener phase.” Independent analysts, however, note that enforcement remains patchy and incentives for cleaner investment limited.