est 612. environmental policy and governance chinese environmental politics and the political system...
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EST 612. Environmental Policy and Governance
Chinese Environmental Politics and the Political System
Lei Zhang, Ph.D.
Dept. of Environmental PolicyWageningen University
The Netherlands
May 2007
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Outline
• Relevant facts about China political system• Who is who?• Who says in China?
• Evolution and dynamics of environmental politics• Historic review• Current shape• Implications for environmental governance
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China’s Political System (1)
Constitutional Framework
• Article 1: The People's Republic of China is a socialist state under the people's democratic dictatorship.
• Article 2: All power belongs to the people (through People’s Congress system)
• Article 3: The state organs apply the principle of democratic centralism
• The Communist Party is the sole party in power in China (although 8 parties exist in China, through the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference).
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China’s Political System (2)
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China’s Political System (3)
Power Structure of the State
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China’s Political System (4)
Structure of the State Council
(State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) since 1998)
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China’s Political System (5)
Three systematic features of centrally-planned economies:
- Limitations of citizen involvement
- Obsession with growth and industrialization
- High material intensity of production modes
Shortcoming within the system of environmental protection:
- Insufficient authority and lack of coordination
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China’s Political System (6)
A maze of intricacies, complexities and contradictions, and changing fast.
Governing the most populous country in the world is an art, not a skill which one can gain by training. Any one of these policy challenges could overwhelm a government’s capacity, yet the CPC must deal with all of them at the same time.
(Source: Saich, T. 2004)
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China’s Political System (7)
• High level of internal organization required for facing external challenges
• Deprivation of individual rights by internal organization
Chinese Response• A political system is a outcome of a given historical period with
an economic system which fits the given survival environment. Thus, the diversity of natural environmental conditions lead to the diversity of political systems.
• Incremental democracy
The Dilemma of Athenian Democracy
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Evolution of environmental strategies in China (1)
Political determinationFrom ‘capitalist exclusive’ to ‘national fundamental policy’
Institutional building From ‘Nobody’ to one of ‘wuge bawang (hegemonic powers)’
Policies and enforcement “Dragon seed harvests flea from reality”
Shift from environmental regulation to governanceCall for fundamental institutional reforms and to involve all
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Evolution of environmental strategies in China (2)
Political determination
1949 - 1973
irrelevant to political affairs
1973 - 1983
Stockholm Conference (1972),
first National Conference (1973),
Constitution 1978: first cardinal law for environmental protection, legislation, but economic development dominated
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1983 - 1992
Second National Conference (1983),
became a fundamental policy, leading to special laws (12), Administrative decrees (22), regulations (26), standards (263)
1992 - now
UN Conference (1992), China’s Agenda 21 (1994), Trans-century Green Plan (1996-2010).
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (3)
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In 2003, during the National People’s Congress, the Chinese president stressed the urgency of environmental protection.
“3 rivers and 3 lakes” pollution control plan (10th-five year plan): 1534 projects, total investment 103.63 billion Rmb.
中国环境科学研究院调研
Political determination: A new pathway of development since 2002
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (4)
The President and the Premier stress environmental protection works at various occasions
15 中国环境科学研究院调研
Political determination: A new pathway of development since 2002
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (5)
2005“Decision Concerning Scientific Development and Environmental Protection”, the State Council
2006During the 6th National Conference on Environmental Protection, “three transitions”:
• to bring together economics and environmental protection• to put growth and such protection on an equal basis• and to use administrative, legal and market mechanisms to protect the environment with all the implications for pricing
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Institutional building:
SEPA system by 2005:
- 3,226 EPBs at all levels
with 167,000 people
- 3,854 supervision and
enforcement organs with 50,000 staff
- more than 300,000 in
departmental or enterprises organs
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (6)
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Institutional building: environmental legislation
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (7)
Constitution: “The state protects and improves the environment in which people live and the ecological environment. It prevents and controls pollution and other public hazards”.
Laws by NPC: 9 on env. Protection and 15 on natural resources protection
Administrative Regulations by State Council: over 50
Local Regulations: over 660 by local PC, governments and relevant departments
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Institutional building: Participation in International Environmental Agreements
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (8)
International conventions: ratified more than 50 on environment
• CITES (1973)• Montreal Protocol (1987) • Basel Convention (1989)• Convention on Biological Diversity (1992)• Kyoto Protocol (1997)• Rotterdam Convention (1998)• Stockholm Convention (2001)
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Institutional building: Participation in International Environmental Agreements
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (9)
Regional co-operation:
Greater Mekong Subregion, Environmental Cooperation Mechanism, 2005
Environmental cooperation under Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Environmental Ministers’ Meeting (EMM) of the Asian-Europe Meeting (ASEM), 2002
China-Arab Cooperation Conference on the Environment, 2005
China-Europe ministerial dialogue on environmental policy
Chair country of the environmental working group of ASAI….
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Institutional building: Participation in International Environmental Agreements
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (10)
Bilateral co-operation:
On environmental protection: agreements or MOUs with 38 countries, US, Japan, Canada, Russia…
On nuclear security: 11 countries
Bilateral assistance gratis: EU, Germany, Japan
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Institutional building: enforcement capacity
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (11)
Industrial enterprises under environmental monitoring as part of all industrial enterprises
YearNo. of enterprises included in the NBS statistics
Gross Industrial Output Value (GIOV) (billion RMB)
No. of enterprises included in environmental statistics
GIOV under environmental statistics (billion RMB)
Ratio of GIOV of environmental statistics to that of national statistics
2002 181557 11077.6 70831 6075.7 54.8
2001 171256 9544.9 71425 5382 56.4
2000 162885 8567.3 70944 4979.8 58.1
1999 162033 7270.7 70997 4146.8 57.0
1998 165080 6773.7 74101 4259.1 62.9
1997 468506 6835.2 54909 3669.7 53.7
1996 506445 6274 62867 3597.1 57.3
1995 510381 5494.7 70177 2732.1 49.7
Source: China Statistics Yearbooks (1996-2003) and China Environment Yearbooks (1996-2003).
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Greening of economic agencies
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (12)
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Greening of economic agencies
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (13)
(Source: Shi, H. and L. Zhang, 2006)
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Economic actors step in
Search for more affordable pathways since early 1990s
More susceptible to reputation risks, foreign green consumerism and global standards
More stringent environmental enforcement
Respond to increasing environment-related pressures or market signals
Signals from the financial and capital markets
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (13)
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Increasing public awareness and NGOs, traditional ways of public participation increased
New ways of public participation emerged
Environmental incidents caused social unrest
SEPA proactive in involving civil society in policy making
Mass media increasing attention to environmental problems
National government encouraging citizens
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (14)
Emerging green civil society
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Evolution of environmental strategies in China (15)
Emerging green civil society
• ENGOs in China:
close to 3000, 49.9% GONGOs, 40.3% students groups, grassroot groups 7.2%, international NGOs 2.6%
• 29.5% of grassroot groups are registered with Civil Affairs Departments
• 92% of the ENGOs conducted environmental education and publicity activities; 15.6% involved in environmental complaints and protests; 11.8% involved in policymaking
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Evolution of environmental strategies in China (16)
Emerging green civil society
According to “China Public Environmental Protection Index 2006”
(Chinese Environmental Culture Promotion Association, 2007)
• Environmental issue ranks no. 2 among 10 hot public issues
• 63% think environmental problems in China are severe and very severe
• 32% are not satisfied with the current environmental quality and 44% think the quality is normal
• Only 4% think the government is not attaching importance to environmental protection
• 70% support the enforcement of Environmental Impact Assessment
• Compared to the date of 2005, 4.9% more will choose to report to EPB in case of environmental problems
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Evolution of environmental strategies in China (16)
Emerging green civil societyNational Trends in Complaints (Bretell in: Ho and Edmonds,
forthcoming)
0
50.000
100.000
150.000
200.000
250.000
300.000
350.000
400.000
450.000
500.000
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Nu
mb
er o
f C
om
pla
ints
Total Complaints(Letters + Visits-RenCi)
Water PollutionComplaints
Air PollutionComplaints
Total Complaints(Letters + Visits-Incidents)
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From Environmental Regulation to Governance
China’s accession to WTO
Industrial transformations- Reform of SOEs
- Privatization of TVEs
- Expansion of FDI and international trade
The empowerment of the civil society
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (17)
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From Environmental Regulation to Governance
Failures of the State-dominated environmental regime
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (18)
(Source: Shi, H. and L. Zhang, 2006)
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New industrial environmental governance in the making
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (19)
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Directions for future
Role of the government will be strengthened Role of the society: involvement and participation
should be increased and institutionalized Government-industry relation: mix of forceful
regulation and cooperation
Evolution of environmental strategies in China (20)