Globally, China’s influence is felt not only in the economic realm but also in the natural world. Its expanding global environmental footprint ranges from the impact of large-scale infrastructure development to loss of native vegetation driven by agricultural commodity production expansion. As many of the ecosystems affected are globally significant and vulnerable, the Paulson Institute believes that it is important to guide China on how to better assess and manage the environmental risks and thus reduce its environmental footprint.
We are working with strategic partners to develop tools to better inform China about overseas investment decisions, introduce international experience, and leverage the market’s role in incentivizing sustainable practices as well as in unlocking financial resources for conservation. In addition, we are developing research to inform the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity on the financial targets and to identify mechanisms to help close the funding gap for global biodiversity conservation.