Ratcheting-up through competition Global environmental governance in the era of rising geopolitical tensions between China and the West

The rise of China has been considered as a parametric change bringing turbulence to world politics in the 21st century. In climate and environmental emergencies, how does a rising China and Western powers’ reaction to it affect systems of environmental governance? While some worry that growing geopolitical tensions will undermine global cooperation on climate change and environmental protection, the authors of this chapter argue that great power competition can be positive-sum for the provision of global public goods when countries promote more sustainable products and services through their competition. Using the case of overseas energy finance, the authors show how rising geopolitical competitions between China and the West have led the Chinese government to strengthen the environmental governance of China’s global engagement. The authors consider the factors operating at multiple levels and propose a theoretical framework to explain how policy changes in China are jointly shaped by Western governments, transnational nonstate actors, and domestic policy entrepreneurs.