About the Database

The China's Global Environmental Leadership (CGEL) database is the first and most comprehensive database that gathers granular data on cross-border environmental governance initiatives led by Chinese state and non-state actors in the 21st century. It systematically collects key information on efforts by Chinese actors to lead governance initiatives addressing different environmental issues through multilateral, bilateral, and transnational channels.

About the SGAIN Project

The database is produced as part of the SGAIN project— Sustainability Governance of China's Global Infrastructure Investments— a £1.7 million UKRI-funded research programme led by Prof Yixian Sun at the University of Bath (grant number: MR/X035956/1). SGAIN integrates innovative mixed methods to assess China's efforts to promote green development through overseas infrastructure investments and also environmental and social impacts of key Chinese projects in different host contexts across the Global South. The CGEL database is one of the project's core research outputs, intended as an open resource for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.

How to Cite

Access & Data

The full dataset and codebook are openly available from the University of Bath Research Data Archive: doi.org/10.15125/BATH-01664. We recommend downloading the database and codebook from this single, citable location.

Contact Us

Is there an initiative we've missed, or do you have feedback on the data or methodology? We'd be glad to hear from you — your input helps us keep the database accurate and complete.