The Belt and Road Initiative: Vision, Implementation, and Impacts on the Environment

Along with economic and political implications, the BRI has massive environmental consequences. China's state enterprises and private companies are the major financiers of BRI. This research is aimed at identifying the environmental impact of the BRI, particularly on exacerbating the climate change crises. The analysis revealed that BRI is responsible for a wide range of environmental issues owing to weak environmental safety policies and carbon-intensive practices. The study found a strong positive correlation between the BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) Vision and its implementation regarding the BRI project compatibility with the environment. It was also found that Environmental Change and Development, Economic Prosperity, and Geopolitical Stability were the predictors of BRI implementation, while Environmental Stability was not the predictor of BRI implementation, which means the BRI project can have concerns regarding environmental stability, i.e., security concerns, BRI-countries cooperation, and other factors. The policy guidelines for environmentally friendly and "green BRI", issued by Chinese officials, are entirely voluntary. To mitigate this situation, the Chinese government must formulate environmentally friendly policies along the lines of its domestic design. Theory of Politics was used as a theoretical framework. This paper presents a broad assessment of BRI's impact on the environment, examining implementation as well as practices and policies.