The Biden administration proposed a rule that would subject hopeful contractors for certain federal agencies to emissions targets set by a coalition of activist organizations, some of which work with the Chinese government.
According to the November 2022 proposal, the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) must validate greenhouse gas emissions reduction plans for all “major” companies before they can do business with the Department of Defense (DOD), NASA and the General Services Administration (GSA). SBTi is a partnership of the United Nations and various climate activist organizations with ties to the China, including two whose China-based operations function under branches of the Beijing government.
The rule “beholds federal contractors to the approval of the U.N. and NGOs who may have significant ties to foreign adversaries such as China,” Republican lawmakers said in a May 17 response to the rule. In 2015, sustainability professionals from the World Resources Institute (WRI), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), CDP and UN Global Compact came together after the Paris Climate Accords to find ways for corporations to set benchmarks and devise plans to meet the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, according to Technology Review. SBTi emerged from the coalition and sets the global standard for so-called science-based climate objectives.
China manipulates nonprofits to promote a positive image of China in exchange for access to federal funding, visas and important government leaders, Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas and former Republican Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah wrote in a 2018 letter, citing research reports and news articles. A 2017 law placed international NGOs under Chinese police control to support the Chinese Communist Party’s global influence operations, Chongyi Feng, a professor at the University of Technology Sydney, wrote.
As a result, some organizations resorted to “tailoring their programming to accord with government priorities,” according to researchers from the China NGO Project.WRI, an organization that researches development and environmental issues, operates in China under “the guidance and supervision” of the Beijing Public Security Bureau and Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the GOP lawmakers, who subpoenaed the organization in 2018 to investigate its alleged ties to the Chinese government, wrote.
The organization works with Chinese businesses and national and local government bodies on environmental policies, according to the organization’s website. It received a registration certificate in 2017 after nine years of operating in China
“WRI leadership regularly interacts with senior Chinese government and Communist party officials and provides public support for Chinese environmental programs,” the members of Congress wrote.
