Conclusion
摘要
As the 2030 timeline on sustainable development fast approaches, geopolitical contestations and economic battles continue to intensify underlining the necessity of enhancing connectivity. With large spillover affects on different sectors of the economy, ranging from employment, health, education, energy access and climate resilience, connectivity forms the core of today's conversation on the global order. Given the European Union's (EU) political and economic positioning in global geopolitics, connectivity is not a new phenomenon for Brussels. Known for its enlargement initiatives in different parts of Europe spanning from the West to the East, the EU is an old player in the connectivity game. However, the gradual utilisation of connectivity as a geopolitical and geoeconomic tool, particularly by China through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has caught the Western world off guard. Infrastructural connectivity projects require political will, consistent flow of quality capital, and ambitious strategic thinking—China's BRI has managed to tick these boxes since its inception in 2013. This chapter sums up the key message of the book—bolstering connectivity initiatives with partners like India should be a key priority for the EU. This can be done by linking its connectivity strategies with its long-established development policy and revamping them in the context of the current shifting dynamics. This can also help the EU to position itself firmly in the larger narrative of global environmental governance.