Unlike Chinese enterprises, few Chinese NGOs engaged in overseas activities before the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, mainly due to the lack of legal and policy support. With the rising influence of China in the developing world and the rapid development of Chinese NGOs, there is a growing need for Chinese NGOs to play a greater role in global affairs. In recent years, the Chinese government has been stepping up its efforts to help promote Chinese NGOs to go global. Supported by this, Chinese NGOs are expected to become one of the major actors involved in programs covering education, foreign aid, environmental protection, poverty alleviation, and people-to-people exchange along the Belt and Road.
Case: Community-participated Ecosystem Projection and Livelihood Improvement
Type: Civic engagement
Country: Myanmar
Duration: 2016 to present
Status: Ongoing
Organisation: Global Environmental Institute (GEI)
Project brief:
Due to urbanization, firewood consumption, and illegal logging, rural areas in Myanmar have suffered from severe deforestation in recent years. To promote ecological protection and improve the livelihood of villagers, GEI has been promoting a Community Conservation Concession Agreement (CCCA) along with four local partner NGOs in Myanmar. GEI has carried out CCCA pilot programmes in several states and divisions, benefiting over 15, 000 people[1]. GEI has also provided training for local NGOs, which has equipped them with better knowledge and capabilities to manage CCCA programs. CCCA is an agreement signed with stakeholders (government, enterprises, local communities or individuals, etc.) in an area that needs to be protected, giving conservation and limited development rights to different stakeholders in order to mitigate the destruction of biodiversity and habitats in the area by human activities, prevent the degradation of ecosystems, and achieve a balance between conservation and development.
[1] CEPF Final Project Completion Report, https://www.cepf.net/resources/final-project-report/final-project-report-2351
Case: Community Development Program (Biogas) in Laos
Type: Civic engagement
Country: Laos
Duration: 2010-2011
Status: Completed
Organisation: Global Environmental Institute (GEI)
Project brief:
Ban Chim Village is located close to the reservoir of the Nam Ngum 5 Hydropower Project and was negatively affected due to land occupation. Arable land and forests were flooded and there was no power grid in the village. Villagers could not even use the electricity generated by the hydropower station because the electricity was directly delivered to the national power grid. Under such circumstances, GEI, in partnership with the Laos branch of Sinohydro Corporation, promoted biogas technology in Ban Chim Village by building biogas digesters, aiming at satisfying local households` everyday energy demands.
Source: SASAC http://www.sasac.gov.cn/n2588025/n2641611/n4518442/c9310650/content.html
Case: Computer & Career Training for People with Disabilities
Type: Education, Poverty Alleviation
Country: Nepal
Duration: 2016-2017
Status: Completed
Organisation: South South Education Foundation (Hong Kong)
Project brief:
This project provides computer classes and vocational training for people with disabilities, benefiting 3, 000 people with disabilities from 6 schools and other institutions.
Case: Indonesian Orangutan Conservation Project
Type: Wildlife Protection
Country: Indonesia
Duration: 2017-present
Status: Ongoing
Organisation: China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, Centre for Orangutan Protection, Conversation Action Network Borneo
Project brief:
In Indonesia, the tropical rainforest is home to orangutans and other wildlife. However, deforestation (caused by oil palm plantations, mining, and logging) and poaching have threatened their habitats and lives. Some experts have predicted that orangutans in Indonesia could be extinct if poaching and environmental destruction go unchecked. There have already been some local NGOs and activist networks working on rescuing orangutans and protecting rainforests, but more support and participation are urgently needed.
Since Aug 2017, China House and a few local NGOs have jointly launched this orangutan conservation project, which aims to step up efforts in wildlife and rainforest protection and promote sustainable economic development in local communities. Their action includes:
-Established an orangutan rescue and rehabilitation centre called BASE CAN in Indonesia.
-Raised more than 15, 000 USD for this center.
-To restore habitats for orangutans, they funded a nursery that is now cultivating 85, 000 seedlings.
-A Chinese website for CAN Borneo was built to help Chinese readers learn more about orangutan protection in Indonesia.
-Other kinds of wildlife such as sun bears, gibbons, and pangolins have also been rescued and cared for in this project.
Source: China House
Case: Workshop on Low Carbon Investment Cooperation
Type: Multi-stakeholder Communication
Country: Indonesia
Duration: Aug 2023
Status: Complete
Organisation: Energy Foundation China (EF China), ASEAN Center for Energy
Project brief:
On August 24-25, 2023, the ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF) 2023 took place in Bali, Indonesia. As part of the event, Energy Foundation China (EF China) co-hosted the ASEAN-China Low Carbon Investment Cooperation Workshop alongside the Belt and Road Center of China’s National Development and Reform and the ASEAN Center for Energy to enhance communication between China and ASEAN. The workshop was attended by over 70 participants, including energy officials from countries such as Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand, as well as representatives from financial institutions, Chinese enterprises, industry associations, think tanks, and NGOs, covered various topics. These included the progress of the energy transition in ASEAN countries, opportunities for investment cooperation, renewable capacity development and integration to the grid, energy security, and the promotion of affordable and sustainable energy consumption.
EF China and the ASEAN Center for Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), marking a significant milestone four and a half years after the foundation's initial partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in January 2019. This collaboration aimed at promoting sustainable energy in the region. Aligned with the objectives outlined in the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2016-2025, during Phase II (2021-2025), ASEAN is striving to achieve its targets of “a 23% share of Renewable Energy (RE) in Total Primary Energy Supply and a 35% share of RE in ASEAN installed power capacity by 2025”. This necessitates supportive regulatory environments and robust investments in the energy sector, particularly from foreign investors.
Sources:
https://www.efchina.org/News-en/EF-China-News-en/news-efchina-20230828-en?set_language=en
https://aseanenergy.org/asean-plan-of-action-for-energy-cooperation-apaec-phase-ii-2021-2025/