As China overhauls its public procurement framework, a new article in Dialogue Earth examines how introducing environmental requirements to procurement could drive forward the implementation of China’s climate commitments. 

The article by Helena Wright, Executive Director of the Oxford Climate Policy Monitor, and Gary Zhipeng Yang, Partner of Silkroad, Anchorite & Sage Law, draws on the findings of the Climate Policy Monitor, which assesses how policies and regulations across 37 jurisdictions (including China) align with climate goals. 

The Monitor shows that climate policies are moving ahead globally as part of a long-term low carbon transition – despite backsliding in Washington. With the impacts of climate change ever more evident, faster implementation is needed to close the gap between targets and reality. 

Procurement makes up 15% of global emissions, so rules ensuring government procurement factors in climate have the potential to make a big impact. 

Green procurement could leverage China’s purchasing power to drive significant progress towards its climate goals, in line with its strategic goals to conserve resources and boost the economy. 

Both the article and the Climate Policy Monitor Annual Review have been published in Mandarin as well as English.