Environmental Policy and the Emergence of the Incineration Industry: A Case Study of Beijing, China 1989-2012

Abstract

This research uses the emergence of the Chinese incineration industry as a case study to examine changes in environmental policies in China from 1989–2012. Three prevailing models have an unsolved question about which actors contribute to Chinese environmental policies. The citizenship awareness model suggests that environmental non-governmental organizations can promote environmental regulations. Environmental authoritarianism argues that the Chinese state maintains capacities to improve the environment. The industrial environmental management model points out that proliferation of private regulations can reduce pollution. However, the above models do not explain why these actors’ efforts of reducing pollution cannot prevent environmental deterioration produced by the rapid economic growth. Using the organizational-political economy perspective, this research argues that the ability of actors to influence policies are historical variations. I evaluate Chinese environmental policies in three periods. The first period from 1989–1997 passed the marketization reform of the environmental policy strategy. The second period 1997–2007 passed BOT public utilities and the renewable energy law. The third period from 2008– 2012 passed incinerator increasing rates and feed-in tariffs. There are four findings: (1) changes in political and economic stability affects the state managers and social actors to support state general agendas in crises or pursue their interests in economic growth; (2) the ability to access the state structures provides channels social actors to influence policies; (3) the ability to form political coalitions allows social actors to mitigate internal conflicts and exercise power; and (4) social actors who are able to evaluate the historical variations in neo-liberalism can define policies that align with the neo-liberal or alternative agendas. This research demonstrates that the state and society are embedded and cannot separated from one another during decision-making processes. Furthermore, this research illuminates that the Chinese incineration market could not be created and operated without politics. Incineration corporations’ involvement into environmental policies focused on market expansion policies and ignored to protect the environment.