The former China head of sustainability standards non-profit organizations Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) was appointed into the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC). The official would sit as the director of business environment programs that involves the duty to help navigate China's complex business and regulatory environment.
The former head of GRI Yuan Yuan was admitted into the CBBC as the director of business environment programs. The CBBC, United Kingdom's national business network that promotes trade and investment with China, appointed Yuan in supporting Chinese businesses to enter the UK market.
The position also involves helping British businesses access the latest sustainability regulations and initiatives imposed in China. Yuan would then act as a representative of British firms in China and help them navigate the regulatory and complex business environment in the country. One of the focuses includes environmental, social, and governance (ESG) implications of the China-initiated Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI is a portal for infrastructure development and renewable emergency projects engaged between China and other nations.
China's public health system and poverty alleviation initiatives were inaccessible to private enterprises. British businesses may now take an interest in these policies, especially those relating to the pandemic.
Intellectual property rights were one of the issues tackled by the organization as well. The law on intellectual property rights in China was referred to as challenging to abide by Chinese businesses that want to enter the UK market.
Yuan told Eco-Business that the pandemic has had little impact and did not significantly affect the willingness of UK businesses to enter China through the CBBC. Yuan noted that the attitudes of the members remained unstaggered by the crisis. She claimed that the CBBC continues to receive numerous inquiries about the recommendations of business partners. She also revealed that the number of responsible entities to engage in business with China kept on diminishing since the pandemic began.
At present, the CBBC has 1,000 members, is served by 100 staff, and man 13 offices in major provinces in China. Yuan then took her post after a year of serving as a senior manager for CECEP Environmental Consulting. The firm is a consulting state-owned conglomerate of China Energy Conservation and Environment Protection Group. During her employment with CECEP, she also served as a consultant for GRI.
In an interview last year, Yuan revealed that China's big corporations have been living up to their sustainability commitments. She also noted that this behavior resulted in positive implications of sustainability reporting in China.
