Environmental Politics and Policy in China: Studying the relative effectiveness, within China, of market and state pressure to achieve environmental improvements

This PhD project would involve research into the state capacity for, and effectiveness of, China’s ability to promote environmental protection. A particular question will be to study the relative effectiveness, within China, of market and state pressure to achieve environmental improvements. On the one hand in the `13th 5 year plan, the Chinese State has introduced measures to penalise state administrators who fail to achieve environmental objectives. On the other hand there are efforts through NGOs such as the Institute for Public and Environmental Affairs to use consumer pressure on companies and court actions to achieve environmental standards. The study will compare the effectiveness of these different means in protecting environmental quality. Particular environmental issues such as air pollution and water pollution will be the centres of focus of empirical study. Concerns to develop theory will be focussed on ecological modernisation (EM) theory and also the extent to which notions of ‘environmental authoritarianism’ can actually protect the environment. According to EM regulatory agencies need to negotiate with and respond to environmental NGOs on environmental targets and negotiate with industry to achieve them. There will be study of the extent to which this is happening, and the changing ability of the state (state capacity) to achieve environmental protection in this regard. There will be a study of the extent to which EM and notions of authoritarian environmentalism (whereby the state imposes environmental protection) are appropriate tools to analyse environmental public policy, policy processes and outcomes.