An increasing number of Chinese enterprises have globalized their business operations with significant investment in other developing economies. Meanwhile, managing environmental and social risks of these investments has become a critical challenge for Chinese transnational corporations (TNCs), especially for enterprises investing in extractive and infrastructure activities. The lack of attention to environmental and social responsibility will jeopardize longterm relationships with the host community and country, and the project operation itself. Gaps remain in complying with domestic and international guidelines, standards, and safeguards established to manage risks so as to control or minimize negative impacts of unforeseen environmental, political, and financial disruptions. On April 5, 2014, the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (Yale F&ES) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) co-organized the workshop “Environmental and Social Risk Management of Chinese transnational corporations” to foster discussions around the challenges and opportunities for Chinese TNCs and how they can enhance their environmental and social performances overseas. It brought together 14 speakers with a wide range of backgrounds including Chinese corporate managers, multilateral policy bank managers, academic scholars, and public policy experts from the public and private sector. Many students, professors, resident scholars, and alumni from the entire Yale community also joined the conversations.
Link to WWF-China website: http://www.wwfchina.org/content/press/publication/2015/Yale-WWF_final.pdf