Sound legal foundations are essential when building cooperation to align Africa’s development priorities with China’s green transition

As China prepares to implement its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), green development has moved from aspiration to strategic imperative. Commitments to peaking carbon emissions, expanding renewable energy and building a new “clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system” now sit at the core of China’s development model. For Africa — one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change and also one most in need of growth, this moment presents both opportunity and risk.

China-Africa cooperation has already transformed landscapes across the continent, from transport corridors and power generation to industrial parks and digital infrastructure. The next phase, however, will be judged less by scale and speed and more by quality, legitimacy and sustainability. Law and diplomacy will determine whether green cooperation resolves old development dilemmas and delivers shared prosperity or reproduces old development dilemmas under a new label.

Green cooperation in Africa — whether focused on climate adaptation, renewable energy or conservation — inevitably affects people’s lives. Solar farms sit on land used by pastoralists; hydropower projects reshape river systems that sustain farming and fishing communities; and conservation initiatives can restrict access to resources that underpin local livelihoods. If these realities are ignored, even well-intentioned green projects risk social resistance, conflict and long-term failure.

This is where legal frameworks matter. Environmental and social impact assessments, community consultation requirements, grievance mechanisms and labor protections are not bureaucratic obstacles; they are tools for ensuring that climate action advances social equity and environmental justice. When China-supported projects align with African domestic laws and international environmental standards, they are more likely to win public trust and endure.

Diplomatically, embedding such safeguards into cooperation agreements sends a powerful signal: green development is not just about carbon metrics, but about people. In fragile or post-conflict settings — where resource disputes have historically fueled instability — rights-sensitive green projects can even contribute to peacebuilding by reducing grievances and strengthening state-community relations.

A second challenge lies in the design of bilateral and multilateral agreements governing China-Africa green cooperation. Renewable energy investments, transboundary water management and marine governance demand clear legal commitments to sustainability, transparency and accountability.

Africa’s transboundary rivers and shared marine ecosystems are increasingly under strain from climate change, population growth and infrastructure development. Cooperative legal frameworks — covering data sharing, joint monitoring, environmental protection and dispute resolution — are essential to prevent ecological damage and diplomatic friction. As China’s engagement in hydropower, ports and the blue economy expands, these issues will only grow in importance.

Transparency is equally critical. Clear contractual terms, alignment with host-country regulatory systems and accessible reporting mechanisms help manage risk for all parties. They also respond to rising expectations around environmental, social and governance standards globally. Far from constraining cooperation, stronger accountability enhances project bankability, reduces delays and strengthens China-Africa partnerships in the long term.

Both China and African countries are parties in major global environmental agreements, including the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity. These frameworks provide common principles — sustainable development, climate responsibility and international cooperation — that can guide practical action.

The African Union’s Agenda 2063 envisions a continent that is industrialized, climate-resilient and inclusive. These goals are not incompatible with China’s green transition; they are complementary. Renewable energy deployment, climate-resilient infrastructure and technology transfer can help Africa leapfrog carbon-intensive development pathways.

Here, diplomacy is key. Through structured dialogue and South-South cooperation, China and Africa can shape global climate governance in ways that reflect developing countries’ realities, including adaptation finance and capacity building. At a time when climate finance gaps persist and the trust between the Global North and the Global South remains fragile, credible China-Africa cooperation grounded in international law can help rebalance the global conversation.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative remain the central platforms for translating policy into practice. Under the 15th Five-Year Plan’s emphasis on “high-standard opening-up”, these frameworks face growing expectations to deliver ecologically sound and rights-respecting partnerships.

Recent moves toward a “green BRI” reflect recognition of environmental risks. The next step is institutional depth: stronger environmental clauses, labor standards, community engagement requirements and monitoring mechanisms built into project cycles. Such measures are not concessions to external pressure; they are investments in project durability and reputational credibility.

For African partners, higher standards reinforce agency and ownership. For China, they demonstrate leadership in responsible development cooperation at a time of intense global scrutiny. Diplomatically, this approach positions China-Africa cooperation as a contributor to their evolution.

The convergence of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and Africa’s sustainable development agenda comes at a critical juncture. Climate impacts are intensifying; development needs remain urgent; and geopolitical competition increasingly shapes development finance. In this context, green cooperation cannot afford to be narrowly technocratic.

Law and diplomacy are the mechanisms through which green ambitions become equitable outcomes. They determine whether renewable energy projects empower communities or marginalize them; whether conservation protects ecosystems without dispossessing people; and whether climate cooperation strengthens peace rather than undermining it.

If China and Africa succeed in embedding legality, accountability and justice into green cooperation, they can offer a compelling model of South-South partnership — one that aligns economic transformation with environmental responsibility and social inclusion. If they do not succeed, green development risks is becoming another missed opportunity.

The choices made under the 15th Five-Year Plan will therefore resonate far beyond China and Africa. They will help define whether green development in the Global South is merely cleaner or genuinely fairer.

The author is the chairman of the Department of Diplomacy & International Studies at the University of Nairobi, and the Chair of Foreign Service Academy, Kenya.

The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.