The Landscape of Non-state Actors and China Environmental Governance: Illustrative Roadmaps to Processes and Institutions

Abstract

This chapter aims at illustrating the landscape of non-state actors—including shiye danwei, business associations, private companies and NGOs—in Chinese environmental governance, namely the roles fulfilled by them, their relationships with state actors and modes of cooperation between different organizations. The chapter explores these issues with seven examples: three standard-related processes (standard-making, supervision and evaluation), two environmental issues (water and air governance) and environmental governance in two industries (the air-conditioning and refrigeration industry and the textile industry). These examples show that while state actors are the dominant and driving force in standard setting, supervision and environmental law enforcement, non-state actors are also important in executing and supporting standard-making processes as well as in complementing state actors’ role in supervision. Moreover, non-state actors also exhibit some spontaneity in starting and participating in environmental governance initiatives relatively independently from government influence. With these initial observations, this chapter hopes to instigate further examination and discussion on non-state actors and organizational dynamics in Chinese environmental governance.

Ruoyu Chen is the content author, and Xingjian Zhang is the graphic designer for the charts. The first three sections of this chapter (general overview, standard-making, supervision and certification) are based on previous work by Carmen Chen, Yangyang Cui and Harold Wang from Fudan University. The chapter has also benefited from comments and suggestions from further book chapter authors and outside reviewers with expertise in china environmental law and governance.