For more than a decade, the Chinese government has overseen a trillion-dollar building spree across the globe, helping construct and finance a vast network of mines, ports, railways and other infrastructure outside its borders.
These projects through its Belt and Road Initiative are increasingly shaping global development, especially in emerging economies. What does it look like when such a large investment push comes from an authoritarian country without a free press?
Inside Climate News sent reporters to countries across four continents to answer that question. The resulting stories found that the spending has had devastating impacts on local communities and the environment near these projects, and long-lasting effects on the global climate.
Beijing is drawing increased attention for its leading role in clean energy technologies like solar and wind energy and electric vehicles. But it has also helped build a global fleet of coal power plants hampering governments’ ability to meet climate targets.
In many countries, Chinese investment has flowed to regions where local governments have been accused of human rights abuses or ignoring environmental regulations.
