The Belt and Road Initiative and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: seeking linkages for global environmental governance

ABSTRACT

Global environmental cooperation serves as an important part in the Chinese ideal of building a Community with a Shared Future for all Human Beings. The report of 19th CPC National Congress indicates that China is committed to proactive mitigation under the Paris Agreement and further participating in global environmental governance under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and both of which are largely integrated to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). BRI are also closely linked with South–South environmental and climate cooperation proposed by China from previous UN summits. Based on shared ideas, intersected agendas, and compatible governance approaches, BRI and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development grow increasingly relevant and they might form synergies based on increasingly interactive relations. In sum, seeking and intensifying the linkages between BRI and 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs) could address global environmental governance deficits and enhance cooperation among nations.     

中国参与2030年可持续发展议程的战略思考

2015年联合国发展峰会通过了“2030年可持续发展议程”,这是一幅由全世界所有国家共同描绘的未来发展蓝图.联合国制定该议程的内在原因有两个,一是为了完成千年发展目标的未竟事业,二是为了汇聚国际社会力量共同应对新的全球性挑战.“2030年可持续发展议程”将重塑当今的全球可持续发展治理体系,为发展中国家深入参与全球可持续发展治理提供了机遇,也有利于全球可持续发展走出“气候变化泥潭”.但是,该议程也存在不足,主要体现在一些可持续发展目标相互重复和难以量化、没有对不同类型国家给出建议、以及里约原则被弱化等.“2030年可持续发展议程”对中国未来发展既是机遇也是挑战.机遇主要体现在有利于中国在可持续发展领域开展对外合作和“一带一路”战略的实施,挑战主要体现在中国将面临来自国际社会的“三重压力”.面向未来,中国应在坚持发展中国家的基本定位下,积极、主动参与相关进程.从对内看,应在该议程框架下根据中国的国情制定“2030年中国可持续发展议程”,并建立有利于产业界、地方政府、民间团体等参与的机制,在实现议程中创造新的经济增长点和就业机会;从对外看,应在坚持“力所能及、互惠互利”原则下,积极开展国际发展合作和发展援助,为其他发展中国家实现该议程做出中国贡献.     

2030年可持续发展议程对全球及中国环境治理的影响

《2030年可持续发展议程》已经形成了社会、经济与环境三大支柱的格局.根据进程追踪的方法,本文通过回顾环境进入《2030年可持续发展议程》目标的过程,着重分析环境目标未来15年将对全球与中国环境治理产生的重要影响.在全球环境治理层面的基本结论是:①全球环境治理体系的重要性将显著上升.②新型伙伴关系将强化环境非政府组织与市民社会的作用.③未来全球环境治理将形成以数据和指标为驱动的特点.④联合国系统内环境机构的作用将进一步强化,联合国环境署的发展受到关注.⑤环境与气候变化中的资金融资与技术转让渠道将进一步多元化.⑥气候变化问题与其他环境问题将在全球和国家层面深度融合.对中国环境治理的积极影响,体现在:①《2030年可持续发展议程》将为中国经济的转型升级和可持续发展提供新的强大动力,并形成倒逼机制;②将显著提升中国公众的环保意识;③为中国在全球治理中发挥关键性作用提供了难得的着力点;④将使中国的区域合作更加“绿色化”.当然,在新常态的经济形势下,全球可持续发展的环境目标也使得中国环境治理的压力与责任不断增加.同时,《2030年可持续发展议程》也存在一系列问题与不足之处:①目标过多且模糊不清,实现难度大.②当前所罗列的一些目标间可能包含潜在的冲突,需要进一步的研究与论证.③环境目标缺乏量化的标准.尽管如此,就环境目标而言,《2030年可持续发展议程》比千年发展目标更加综合、全面和系统,是当今国际社会应对环境问题集体努力的成果,必须高度重视与研究.     

中国建立落实2030年可持续发展议程创新示范区的战略思考

2016年12月,国务院发布《中国落实2030年可持续发展议程创新示范区建设方案》,引起了国内外的广泛关注,成为当前中国推进可持续发展的标志性事件.本文介绍了该方案的制定过程及其重要意义,对方案的主要内容进行了解析,并提出了近期应围绕创新示范区建设开展的几项重点工作.文章认为,建立落实2030年可持续发展议程创新示范区是中国顺应全球可持续发展趋势的必然选择,是解决国内可持续发展主要问题的迫切需要,是回应国际社会期待的客观要求.文章提出,在建设落实2030年可持续发展议程创新示范区时关键要把握好四个原则:①勇于突破GDP导向的传统发展思维,真正以可持续发展的理念推动地方发展;②从制约地方可持续发展的瓶颈问题入手,通过制度、科技等各方面的改革和创新,形成成熟有效的系统性解决方案;③调动社会各界的积极性,形成政府引导、市场配置资源、各利益攸关方共同参与的机制;④主动分享系统性解决方案和实践经验,为全球可持续发展做出中国贡献.文章最后提出,面向未来,建设中国落实2030年可持续发展议程创新示范区要做好四个衔接:①加强与国家可持续发展实验区工作的衔接,形成互为支撑的布局体系;②加强与"绿色技术银行"工作的衔接,促进先进适用技术落地生根;③加强与国家科技计划的衔接,促进创新能力的提升;④加强与各领域改革工作的衔接,形成综合创新示范的局面.     

Energy and Sustainable Development at Global Environmental Summits: An Evolving Agenda

This paper presents a framework for understanding energy issues in the context of sustainable development. It posits that there are three important ways in which energy is related to sustainable development: (a) energy as a source of environmental stress, (b) energy as a principal motor of macroeconomic growth and (c) energy as a prerequisite for meeting basic human needs. These three dimensions correspond to the three dimensions of the often-used triangle of sustainable development: environmental, economic, and social. Using this framework, the paper traces how successive environmental summits at Stockholm (1972), Rio de Janeiro (1992) and Johannesburg (2002) have dealt with energy issues. It identifies a slow, surprising and important evolution of how energy issues have been treated at these global discussions. Energy has received increasing prominence at these meetings and become more firmly rooted in the framework of sustainable development. Stockholm was primarily concerned with the environmental dimension, Rio de Janeiro focused on both the environmental and economic dimensions, and the major headway made at Johannesburg was the meaningful addition of the social dimension and the linking of energy issues to the UN's Millennium Development Goals.     

Comparison of marginal abatement cost curves for 2020 and 2030: longer perspectives for effective global GHG emission reductions

This study focuses on analyses of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions, from the perspective of interrelationships among time points and countries, in order to seek effective reductions. We assessed GHG emission reduction potentials and costs in 2020 and 2030 by country and sector, using a GHG emission reduction-assessment model of high resolution regarding region and technology, and of high consistency with intertemporal, interregional, and intersectoral relationships. Global GHG emission reduction potentials relative to baseline emissions in 2020 are 8.4, 14.7, and 18.9 GtCO₂eq. at costs below 20, 50, and 100 $/tCO₂eq., corresponding to +19, −2, and −7 %, respectively, relative to 2005. The emission reduction potential for 2030 is greater than that for 2020, mainly because many energy supply and energy-intensive technologies have long lifetimes and more of the current key facilities will be extant in 2020 than in 2030. The emission reduction potentials in 2030 are 12.6, 22.0, and 26.6 GtCO₂eq. at costs below 20, 50, and 100 $/tCO₂eq., corresponding to +19, −2, and −7 %, respectively, relative to 2005. The emission reduction potential for 2030 is greater than that for 2020, mainly because many energy supply and energy-intensive technologies have long lifetimes and more of the current key facilities will be extant in 2020 than in 2030. The emission reduction potentials in 2030 are 12.6, 22.0, and 26.6 GtCO₂eq. at costs below 20, 50, and 100 /tCO₂eq., corresponding to +33, +8, and −3 %, respectively, relative to 2005. Global emission reduction potentials at a cost below 50 $/tCO₂eq. for nuclear power and carbon capture and storage are 2.3 and 2.2 GtCO₂eq., respectively, relative to baseline emissions in 2030. Longer-term perspectives on GHG emission reductions toward 2030 will yield more cost-effective reduction scenarios for 2020 as well.     

Organic contaminants in the environment: Research progress and needs

An already large and rapidly increasing number of manmade organic contaminants is found to be present in environmental samples from around the world. However, the biological effects of many of these compounds are unknown. Traditional biological testing, albeit important, cannot be done on each chemical due to limitations of the available resources. Therefore, new avenues should be pursued to screen out the hazardous compounds for more intensive research. One of these avenues, quantitative structure-activity correlations, applies the existing knowledge to estimate the effects of other, structurally related compounds. In combination with a fast and cost-effective biological test, this method appears useful in solving both the existing backlog and future needs for information on the safety and environmental effects of new chemicals.     

信息化建设:开发区产业升级与可持续发展之路

面对当前我国经济开发区发展所面临的主要挑战，无论从自身经济增长规律出发．还是应对外部竞争压力，在新形势下，信息化是实现开发区产业升级与可持续发展的必由之路。如何针对开发区实际状况，系统、科学地进行信息化建设，包括大力发展信息产业并使其成为支柱产业，开创新经济增长点；以信息技术改造传统产业，促进产业升级与结构调整；以电子政务提高政府管理水平与服务效率、以电子商务提高企业的经营绩效与创新能力；以信息化推动城市化进程，提高人口素质与生活水平等。针对上述议题，特提出以“数字城市”建设、完善信息产业链为核心的开发区信息化发展战略。     

Education for Sustainable Development: The Johannesburg Summit and Beyond

The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), held in Johannesburg during 26 August and 4 September 2002, was a truly remarkable event, not least because it identified and committed the world community to what has to be done to realise Agenda 21 objectives. Discussion begins with the "means of implementation" of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPI). Education for, and raising awareness of, sustainable development are the key commitments in the "means of implementation". The issues central to these commitments are discussed. The crucial role of moral philosophy in education for sustainable development is then discussed. Defining the "problem" as lack of progress (in fact negative progress between Rio and Johannesburg) towards global sustainable development, a cause–effect relationship of the "problem" is developed based on a systematic and logical analysis. It shows that the "cause" is West's profoundly materialistic, environment-degrading and exploitative attitude and activities to satisfy grossly unsustainable, hedonistic and insatiably avaricious Western life-styles – life-styles that are held up by the West as "ideal" fruits of economic "development" to be aspired by all. The "effects" are pollution of air, water and soil; mounting loss of biodiversity, ecosystems and species; relentlessly widening north–south divide, etc. It is argued that while science and technology can address some of the "effects", they cannot address the "cause". Only moral philosophy can by fundamentally re-orienting moral values genuinely to respect nature and the environment. Based on sound and tested principles of Educational Psychology, a proposal is then made for including moral philosophy in the formal curricula (content and pedagogy) of primary, secondary and higher education for instilling in children and young people genuinely environment-respecting moral values. To this end a generic syllabus for the secondary level is proposed. Finally, it is argued that if the scientific community really believes that science or technology alone can radically change the pervasive environment-degrading moral values to those that genuinely respect the environment, thus paving the way to real global sustainability, then it must demonstrate how this could be done and explain why, despite their abundant science and technology, the developed nations are the biggest polluters and consumers with grossly unsustainable life-styles. Certainly, examples would be much more convincing than rhetoric or tired old clichés about how science and technology alone could deliver global sustainable development.     

Initial progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): a review of evidence from countries

The global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) commenced in 2016 and provide an evidence-based framework for sustainable development planning and programming until 2030. There is emerging international practice and a growing catalogue of related reviews, assessments, guidelines and publications. While the expert community is clearly emphasising the need to adopt evidence- and science-based approaches to SDG implementation, policymakers now face the challenge of implementing the SDGs simultaneously in a coherent and integrated manner. Regular systematic reviews of national progress and approaches to implementing the SDGs are advisable to ensure that emerging science and knowledge is effectively informing national practice. This paper reviews the recent academic and expert literature as well as national experience in implementing the SDGs in 26 countries. It uses a systematic approach to analyse the degree to which key implementation stages and approaches recommended in the expert literature are being adopted and applied to support national SDG implementation on-the-ground. The review highlights that while progress has been made in some initial planning stages, key gaps remain in terms of the assessment of interlinkages, trade-offs and synergies between targets. Gaps are also clearly evident in the adoption of systems thinking and integrated analytical approaches and models. This is problematic as it may undermine effective implementation and the transformative potential of the SDGs. As more countries turn their attention to the SDGs, the review underscores the considerable risk that they will pursue the same ‘siloed’ or ‘linear’ approaches to sustainable development that have met with limited success in the past.     

Review and Prospect of the UN Efforts for Sustainable Development

The present paper reviews the UN important efforts to promote global sustainable development in the chronological order since UN Conference on Human Environment in 1972, and analyzes the progress and gap. The results show that the UN system has made great efforts for global sustainable development since the UN Conference on Human Environment, especially since UN Conference on Environment and Development, promoted the formation of important consensus and multilateral international conventions on many fields, boosted the development of partnership in the field of sustainable development, and accelerated actions for sustainable development of many countries and regions. However, at present, the progress made is still far below the level required, prominently reflected in the slow progress toward the millen- nium development goals, the difficulties in negotiations in the field of environment and development, insufficient fulfillment of international agreements and conventions, and undesirable effects of partnership in the field of sustainable development. Based on these, the paper puts forward four suggestions for UN Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012(Rio+20):(1) to revitalize the "spirit of Rio" and accelerate the implementation of existing politi- cal commitments; (2) to make new political commitments focusing on climate change and other major global challenges under the Rio principles; (3) to lay out a blueprint of green economy under the Rio principles; and (4) to promote South-South cooperation as the focus of international cooperation.     

Sustainable Development and Environment: a Renewed Effort in the OECD

The importance of sustainable development has been clearly recognised by the OECD Council at Ministerial Level. The Communiqué of the 1998 Ministerial Meeting states that Ministers agreed that the achievement of sustainable development is a key priority for OECD countries. They encouraged the elaboration of the Organisation's strategy for wide-ranging efforts over the next three years in the areas of climate change, technological development, sustainability indicators, and the environmental impact of subsidies.... Further, Ministers asked the OECD to enhance its dialogue with non-member countries in these areas and to engage them more actively, including through shared analyses and development of strategies for implementing sustainable development (OECD, 1998d).To help countries achieve the transition to sustainable development, a framework is required for the integration of economic, environmental and social policy. This was the main recommendation of the report in November 1997 to the OECD Secretary-General, Donald J. Johnston, of the High-Level Advisory Group on the Environment (OECD, 1997b). The OECD and its affiliates (including the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), the Development Centre and the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT)) are well equipped with the broad, multidisciplinary expertise to assist Member governments in this task. Work on sustainable development encompasses the full range of activities of the Organisation: macro and micro-economic analysis; environmental policy; labour markets, education, health and social policies; agricultural and fisheries policies; energy policy; technology policy; regional, local and urban policies; and development co-operation. Activities with non-members add an essential global perspective. The challenge is to move beyond a sectoral approach to integrated policies, and to exploit potential synergies and interrelationships between this wide range of competencies. The aim is to move as far as possible towards the harmonisation and integration of policies within an overall economic framework.     

Biophysical suitability,economic pressure and land-cover change: a global probabilistic approach and insights for REDD+

There has been a concerted effort by the international scientific community to understand the multiple causes and patterns of land-cover change to support sustainable land management. Here, we examined biophysical suitability, and a novel integrated index of “Economic Pressure on Land” (EPL) to explain land cover in the year 2000, and estimated the likelihood of future land-cover change through 2050, including protected area effectiveness. Biophysical suitability and EPL explained almost half of the global pattern of land cover (R ² = 0.45), increasing to almost two-thirds in areas where a long-term equilibrium is likely to have been reached (e.g. R ² = 0.64 in Europe). We identify a high likelihood of future land-cover change in vast areas with relatively lower current and past deforestation (e.g. the Congo Basin). Further, we simulated emissions arising from a “business as usual” and two reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) scenarios by incorporating data on biomass carbon. As our model incorporates all biome types, it highlights a crucial aspect of the ongoing REDD + debate: if restricted to forests, “cross-biome leakage” would severely reduce REDD + effectiveness for climate change mitigation. If forests were protected from deforestation yet without measures to tackle the drivers of land-cover change, REDD + would only reduce 30 % of total emissions from land-cover change. Fifty-five percent of emissions reductions from forests would be compensated by increased emissions in other biomes. These results suggest that, although REDD + remains a very promising mitigation tool, implementation of complementary measures to reduce land demand is necessary to prevent this leakage.     

Studies with natural and anthropogenic iodine isotopes: iodine distribution and cycling in the global environment

Iodine is an important trace element in geological and biological processes. We summarize here recent results and new data of experiments and observations carried out to improve the understanding of concentration levels and behavior of natural and anthropogenic iodine nuclides in the global environment. The distribution of stable iodine in the Earth's crust was estimated using concentration data in a suite of representative samples and the influence of subduction on the marine iodine cycle was investigated using (129)I systematics on iodine-rich brines from Japan. The importance of microorganisms for the natural iodine cycle is shown in recent studies of iodine sorption on soil and of iodine volatilization from terrestrial and marine environments. Levels of anthropogenic (129)I were measured in samples collected around a spent fuel reprocessing plant in Japan.     

Adapting to climate change: an integrated biophysical and economic assessment for Mozambique

Mozambique, like many African countries, is already highly susceptible to climate variability and extreme weather events. Climate change threatens to heighten this vulnerability. In order to evaluate potential impacts and adaptation options for Mozambique, we develop an integrated modeling framework that translates atmospheric changes from general circulation model projections into biophysical outcomes via detailed hydrologic, crop, hydropower and infrastructure models. These sector models simulate a historical baseline and four extreme climate change scenarios. Sector results are then passed down to a dynamic computable general equilibrium model, which is used to estimate economy-wide impacts on national welfare, as well as the total cost of damages caused by climate change. Potential damages without changes in policy are significant; our discounted estimates range from US$ 2.3 to US $7.4 billion during 2003?C2050. Our analysis identifies improved road design and agricultural sector investments as key ??no-regret?? adaptation measures, alongside intensified efforts to develop a more flexible and resilient society. Our findings also support the need for cooperative river basin management and the regional coordination of adaptation strategies.     

城市未来发展持续性评价决策支持系统构建和设计

城市作为一定区域内的政治、经济和文化教育等中心，具有明显的集聚能力和辐射带动作用，其可持续发展是区域及整个国家可持续发展的前提。开发和构建城市未来发展持续性评价决策支持系统（UFDADSS），对加强城市发展可持续性动态监测和科学评价、提高城市可持续发展战略规划及决策水平具有重要意义。本文主要根据城市可持续发展的系统性、多样性、空间性、动态性等特征，从体系结构、功能模块、集成方式等几个方面，对UFDADSS的构建和设计进行了初步探讨。     

减排与适应协同发展研究:以广东为例

减排和适应是全球应对气候变化的两大任务.发展中国家对气候变化不利影响的承受能力特别脆弱,同时面临着减排和发展任务,在资金有限的情况下,促使适应和减排联合行动能发挥协同效应,降低减排和适应成本,取得增量社会效益.适应分为增量型和发展型活动.在国家规定的减排和适应重点活动领域中,挑选出能源领域减排与增量型适应活动进行协同效应分析,至少有4个强协同效应和10个弱协同效应发生.以广东省为例,增量型适应活动和能源领域减排措施的协同效应主要体现在以下3个方面:工程性适应项目建设与低碳能源生产、消费的关联效应,提高能效有利于工程性适应项目的建设;海岸带适应措施增加碳汇和节约减排成本;城市绿化建设通过有目的的公共设施建设,缓解气候灾害对人们生活的直接影响,节约适应成本,同时增加碳汇和节约减排成本.减排和适应行动的联动机制是未来发展中国家研究的重点.     

《巴黎协定》时代的气候融资:全球进展、治理挑战与中国对策

本文首先辨析了"气候资金"与"气候融资"两个基本概念,且通过对包括《巴黎协定》在内,最新的气候资金相关法律文件、信息通报、文献资料、智库报告的研究和系统梳理,指出全球气候融资发展趋势表现在全球气候融资缺口正在持续扩大;资金来源更加市场化;发展金融机构募集、管理和分配了大部分的公共资金;新型经济体用款权受到挤压,也呈现出更大的出资潜力;稳定的碳价格被认为是全球实现"零排放"长期减排目标的核心机制。与此同时,气候资金治理体系也处在关键的转型期,目前气候资金治理正在向"自下而上"的模式过渡,《公约》外平台承担了"气候风险主流化"的多重功能,但需要警惕"自下而上"的治理模式有绕过"共同但有区别责任"的风险,且绿色气候基金运作规则的导向性作用值得关注。据此,本文在最后提出了一系列治理建议。建议我国应积极影响国际气候资金机制运营规则和技术规则的制定,避免发达国家以及代表其利益的国际组织制定的标准片面地发展为国际规则;支持在全球设定渐进的、可预测的、可信的碳价格,并且肯定将气候与环境风险因素内生化的核心思想理念;与绿色气候基金开展多方位合作,推动气候公共资金治理规则转型;加强与世界银行在气候融资领域的合作;借G20平台逐步发展为气候融资政策突破和工具创新的引领者。     

绿色GDP核算——低碳发展背景下的再研究与再讨论

绿色GDP已是公众熟知的词汇,但由于其核算结果对国民经济生产总值扣减比例大并引发相关争议,我国在2006年首次发布核算报告后就暂停了试点推进工作。然而绿色GDP核算可使资源、环境成本凸显出来,使人们更清楚地认识到国家经济社会发展的真实状况。当前以应对气候变化为主要初衷的低碳经济被大力提倡,它在国家发展规划层面属循环经济范畴。在这一背景下,重提绿色GDP核算,旨在推动如何正确评估国家可持续发展的相关研究与实践。本文阐述了绿色GDP的概念,分析了综合环境经济核算体系及绿色GDP核算存在的困难。通过自然资源耗减核算、环境质量降级核算和再生产品核算构建了经环境调整的系统生产总值核算方程。在此基础上,以发展低碳经济的具体载体生态产业园为例进行了实证研究。结果表明,自然资源耗减对系统总产值的消减额度最大,环境质量降级次之,废弃物的综合利用则有正面作用,绿色GDP核算使系统的发展成果被重新认识。由此可印证,绿色GDP是传统国民经济核算体系的有益补充,应引起国家可持续发展战略体系的继续关注;其核算方法应继续完善。     

Sustainable Development – A New Challenge for the Countries in Central and Eastern Europe

The paper gives an overview on the transformation process of 10 Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries leading to a change of political structure and the emergence of market mechanisms. These countries intend to get admission into the European Union (EU) in the near future. Therefore, the legal system of the EU is the standard for them and, in particular, they follow the respective environmental protection measures.The implementation of sustainable development is a new challenge for the CEE countries. Beside environmental protection, economic and social dimensions are also to be considered, and these three pillars are in mutual interaction. In the CEE countries, the preparations to implement elements of sustainable development began in the last few years. Thus, the documents of the Johannesburg Summit on Sustainable Development stimulate this recent process. The successful implementation requires the close cooperation of the governments, the various stakeholders and the civil society.