It is beyond dispute that both China and the European Union stand to gain from promoting low-carbon development through the dissemination of clean and renewable energy sources, as this inevitably leads to increased environmental protection. The depletion of fossil fuel resources and the accompanying changes in the global energy mix make Europe and China not only competitors in the global economic race, but also nolens volens partners. Their pragmatic partnership is characterized, on the one hand, by the need to take action to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and, on the other, by the desire to minimize the negative environmental impact of their use. Hence, the existing and emerging cooperation between the two actors, while challenging for a number of reasons, is not only an attempt to set up channels to exchange vital information, but also an exercise in setting the standards under which further cooperation will be forged.
It is beyond dispute that both China and the European Union stand to gain from promoting low-carbon development through the dissemination of clean and renewable energy sources, as this inevitably leads to increased environmental protection. The depletion of fossil fuel resources and the accompanying changes in the global energy mix make Europe and China not only competitors in the global economic race, but also nolens volens partners. Their pragmatic partnership is characterized, on the one hand, by the need to take action to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and, on the other, by the desire to minimize the negative environmental impact of their use. Hence, the existing and emerging cooperation between the two actors, while challenging for a number of reasons, is not only an attempt to set up channels to exchange vital information, but also an exercise in setting the standards under which further cooperation will be forged.
As the dazzling economic and social changes in China have imposed substantial impact upon the quality of environmental governance, it is time to review the problems and progress in the politics of China''s environmental protection. This book analyzes the factors in China''s governance and political process that affect and restrain its capacity to handle the mounting environmental problems. It argues that solutions to China''s ecological woes to a larger extent lie in the political and institutional changes rather than in engineering, technological and investment input. The book talks about new policies and reform measures in the green area taken by the government since 2007, arguing that some of them may be quite effective in the long run, as long as they alter institutional factors and the OC growth-firstOCO mindset that obstruct the green effort. The book also includes discussion of China''s climate change policy not only because global warming has come under the limelight of the international community in recent years, but also because it offers a unique dimension to analyze the country''s environmental diplomacy and domestic bureaucratic structure on emissions cutting and related energy issues. China is currently at the crossroads of further political and economic reform, and the intensified public attention to environmental pollution may help the Chinese Communist Party to decisively push forward the long-sluggish political reforms.
Even though China has created an administrative structure and regulatory programs to curb pollution, environmental quality has continued to deteriorate. Are polluters following the rules? How do regulators and polluters alike respond to ChinaOs environmental controls? This thoroughly documented study examines these central questions by analyzing compliance with programs involving wastewater discharge standards, fees, and permits. The successes and failures of these programs are tracked in comprehensive case studies and remarkably candid surveys of factory managers in six Chinese cities. The authorsO final chapter adds an international dimension by comparing Chinese water pollution control programs with their counterparts in the United States.
In this edited volume, leading environmental policy experts from China, USA, and Europe provide a contemporary view of Chinese environmental policy, analyzing current discussions among various actors and agencies. The book covers a wide range of topics including the gap between national policy goals and their local implementation, cultural and social factors shaping political behavior, legal and political systems affecting environmental policy creation and execution, new societal forces participating in environmental policymaking and governance, and local state strategies tasked with navigating a mix of political, legal, and societal forces. Featuring in-depth, empirically-grounded analyses with interdisciplinary approaches, the book is ideal reading for scholars interested in the complex nature of balancing Chinese environmental sustainability and economic growth.
Today, environmental protection is among the central matters for natural conservation, public health and sustainable business. With advanced technologies and changing lifestyles, the consumption of resources and release of wastes and pollutants are increasing fast. This requires policy makers to design environmental policies that properly guide the development of new products and business operations. The goal of environmental policy is to limit, slow-down, reduce or eliminate environmental damages caused by industrial and human activities. Chinas environmental crisis is one of the most pressing challenges to emerge from the countrys rapid industrialisation. Its economic rise, in which GDP grew on average 10 percent each year for over a decade, has come at the expense of its environment and public health. China is the worlds largest source of carbon emissions, and the air quality of many of its major cities fails to meet international health standards. While Chinas economic boom has greatly accelerated the devastation of its land and resources, the roots of its environmental problem stretch back centuries. Since Chinas environmental protection law was passed in 1989, the country has become the worlds second-largest economy and its biggest carbon emitter; decades of breakneck economic growth have left many of its rivers desiccated and its cities perennially shrouded in smog. Over the past year, the Chinese government has begun to emphasise environmental protection in its official rhetoric. Environmental issues generally addressed by environmental policy include (but are not limited to) air and water pollution, waste management, ecosystem management, biodiversity protection, and the protection of natural resources, wildlife and endangered species. This book compiles the latest research from around the globe in this field. Handbook of Environmental Policy in China brings together the work of leading scholars from various academic disciplines, such as economics, public policy, urban and environmental studies, and international studies. The topics include current environmental policies and regulations; government decentralization and environmental protection; urban development; industrial air pollution and household greenhouse gas emissions; consumption and emissions; and transportation systems. Readers will gain an in-depth understanding of the nuances of environmental law in China from this extensive overview. Combining theory and practice, the expert contributors provide an introduction to and comments on relevant environmental laws and regulations and their latest developments. This book will be an indispensable reference point for academics and advanced students of environmental studies in general and environmental law in particular. Practitioners will find the work both informative and important.
The European Union is one of the earliest regions that commits to environmental protection and is also the conventional leader of global environmental governance. China is now in urgent need to govern environment and a key player in dealing with a number of global environmental challenges, including climate change. Since 1981, when the European Union and China began to contact in the field of environment, environment has been rising on the agenda of their bilateral relations. In 1994, the European Union and China established their first institution for environment. With the support of institutions, their environmental cooperation has stepped into width and depth. Today, environment is deeply involved in the Asia-Europe Meeting and the Annual Summit between the European Union and China, and a number of sectoral institutions on environmental policy, environmental technology, climate change, and energy have been established. Meanwhile, a considerable number of environmental projects have been implemented. The institutions do not only assist in the implementation of environmental projects, but also result in new institutions and the construction of the institutional architecture. However, they also experience some limits. Due to the "low-politics" stance of environment in global politics, the European and Chinese leaders are half-hearted to the practical operation of some of the institutions. In addition, these institutions are also ineffective in dealing with issues with conflictual interests involved, such as climate change and environmental technology transfer.
Though recently improved, Chinese legislation on environmental permits is still weak and urgent measures are needed to help the country in moving towards an effective permitting system. This book examines this legislation gap and presents a contribution to solving China’s pollution problems. By analysing the deficiencies of current Chinese provisions on permitting in light of EU legislation, and its Italian application, the book determines which permitting legislative structure and approach China should embrace in practice in order to build more comprehensive legislation on emission permitting. It is argued that a set of ad hoc legislative measures should be implemented so as to strengthen China’s environmental protection and efficiently tackle pollution. The book will be a valuable resource for researchers, academics and policy-makers working in the areas of international environmental law and comparative law.
Dr Jan Wiktor Tkaczyński is a professor at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. His research focuses on comparative constitutional law and environmental law in the European Union. 扬•维克托•特卡钦斯基教授（prof. Jan Wiktor Tkaczyński） 是克拉科夫雅盖隆大学的教授。他的研究重点是欧盟的比较宪法学和环境法。 Dr Łukasz Gacek is a professor at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. His most notable work has revolved around China’s energy and environmental policies. 卢卡斯•加塞克教授（prof. Łukasz Gacek） 是克拉科夫雅盖隆大学的教授。他的主要工作围绕着中国能源及环境政策的研究。
