Presenter(s): Ana Garibay Mares − International Studies, Planning, Public Policy And Management, And Chinese
Faculty Mentor(s): Yvonne Braun, Kathie Carpenter
Poster 121
Research Area: Social Science
Funding: Ford Family Foundation Scholarship (funding provided for the independent study period, including travel), and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies (employment to continue to pursue relevant research).
China’s unprecedented economic growth has raised concerns about the world’s natural resource reserves; as small island developing states, Pacific Island nations bind in solidarity to address concerns regarding their economic and environmental vulnerabilities as well. This is the era where merging the Chinese State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) model with Benefit Corporations (B Corps) will help facilitate China’s push for green economic growth along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This unique combination can strategically address the triple bottom line that green economies are applauded for: social, economic, and environmental growth. The BRI offers opportunities for China and the Pacific to use SOE funding to address sustainability goals under a B Corp business model. More specifically, the Maritime Silk Road, which forms part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), offers opportunities for China and the Pacific to promote a holistic sense of development, reduce the island’s loan dependency, and propel the island nations towards self-sufficiency. This model equates economic growth to both social and environmental capital. In other words, Chinese SOEs can help standardize green economies by merging the BRI with B Corps to tackle mutual concerns in the Asia-Pacific region.