Republicans Scrutinize Environmental NGO and its China Connections

The Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) praise of the People’s Republic of China’s efforts to clean up its environment has been scrutinized by two Republicans—Rob Bishop and Bruce Westerman—on the House Committee on Natural Resources.

In their letter addressed to Rhea Suh, president of the NRDC, they suggest that the NRDC, a well-known environmental non-governmental organization (NGO), is working on behalf of Beijing by criticizing United States environmental policy while commending Chinese efforts to curb pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The letter states that the NRDC’s relationship with China may signify that the organization is “at risk of being influenced or coerced by foreign interests.” The Republicans imply that the NRDC is supporting China’s perception-management campaign in which the nation strives to garner international recognition and improve its standing within the global community.

According to Bishop and Westerman, Chinese authorities put stringent controls on information and tend to release only news that improves their international image. The letter’s authors claim that the NRDC is complying with this tactic through their open praise of the Chinese government and restraint in criticizing its policies. They express their concern that the “NRDC’s need to maintain access to Chinese officials has influenced its political activities in the United States and require compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act.” This refers to a 1938 law requiring domestic agents representing the interests of foreign powers to disclose their relationship with the foreign body to the US government.

Although it may be true that the Chinese government does hold significant control over the media and the press, it seems clear that China indeed has made a real effort to undo some of the damage done to its natural environment. For instance, China has spent $100 billion a massive reforestation project and has made strides toward improving the air quality of its major cities, as measured through average hourly readings of PM2.5 (a category of air particulate matter) concentrations at the US Embassy in Beijing. China has also invested heavily in renewable energy technology in place of its traditional coal-fired power plants. Meanwhile, current US president Donald Trump has expressed his determination to revive coal jobs on multiple occasions.

Although China is still the world’s largest source of carbon emissions, it has eagerly participated in discussions on climate change such as that leading to the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015. On the other hand, Trump has pulled the US out of the Paris agreement, claiming that it would only hurt the US economy and put the nation at a severe disadvantage. The NRDC was an outward supporter of US participation in the Paris Climate Accord during the Obama era and therefore has been very vocal in opposing Trump’s decision to withdraw.

Now, the NRDC’s office in Beijing works closely with Chinese officials to implement sustainable development policies that help reduce China’s greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining rapid economic growth. In its public response to Bishop and Westerman’s letter, the NRDC has said that its relationship with China is helping the world establish a more sustainable future that works for the interest of the US public. Global warming is, as the name implies, a global issue that necessitates cooperation within the international community.

It is clear that as China continues to undergo development, a large-scale effort to help curb its emissions will be necessary to mitigate the warming of the Earth’s average temperatures. This entails both regional cooperation within East Asia as well as cooperation on a global scale. NGOs like NRDC must continue to work closely with the Chinese government, especially when US government policies are currently slowing down on the fight for/ a cleaner, greener, brighter future.

Featured Image via: Flickr/Michael Robinson