October 2017
Published by the Institute for Global Dialogue: Towards an African Policy on China policy brief series
Environmental protection has become a major issue of debate in the evolving Africa-China relationship. There are numerous environmentally-sensitive sectors impacted through China’s engagement in the continent. However, this paper is focused on areas where NGOs have particularly been active. The policy brief examines the role of environmental NGOs in environmental protection in the Africa-China relationship, primarily focusing on NGOs monitoring EIA compliance, as well as illegal wildlife trade and its inclusion in the FOCAC summit. This paper is primarily interested in the agency coming from civil society and NGOs (bottom up) and how this has impacted state responses at the official level. Recommendations are then provided for both African governments and environmental NGOs.
Author: Meryl Burgess