Driven by Steel Production, China’s Belt and Road Construction Carries a Heavy Climate Cost

China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the world’s largest ongoing infrastructure program, has a substantial climate impact. More than half its emissions stem from steel, the majority of which was produced in China. Cutting the emissions will require stronger environmental policies and major investment in cleaner manufacturing technologies, two new studies concluded. More than 130 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions are tied to the construction of transportation, energy, building and water projects that were part of China’s Belt and Road international development initiative from 2008 to 2024, according to a study published Monday in the journal Environmental Science &…