Transcript Seminar on Policy Studies

International
Environmental Policy
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY OF:
CHINA
HARI SRINIVAS
ROOM: I-312 / 079-565-7406
Major Problems China is Facing
 Energy use
 Food Production
 Water Pollution,
shortages.
 Coal Pollution
 Air Pollution
Environmental Reality
 No country in history has emerged as a major
industrial power without environmental damage
 It was the case for the U.S., European countries,
Japan and other developed countries (water, air,
and land pollution).
So what?
 So, what’s the ‘big deal’ if China is now doing the same?
 Scale
- pollution is affecting millions of people.
(Population size)
 Very rapid Economic growth
 Globalization and brand name - Everyone is
watching
 Global problems (i.e., global warming)
Environmental Consequences

 Chinas environmental
problems are among the
most severe of any major
country and are getting
worse:
 Air pollution
 Land Degradation
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Cropland losses
Desertification
Disappearing wetlands

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Grassland degradation
Soil erosion
Overgrazing
Salinization
 Water pollution and
shortage

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Freshwater
Groundwater depletion
Oceans
 Loss of biodiversity –
increase in invasive species
Deforestation
 China’s natural forests have been declining over the last
50 years. Deserts are forming quickly due to this
 1949: area forested area was about 14.4 million hectares.
Today it is only 0.7 Mha
 Despite a logging ban passed in 1999, the damage has
already been done
 Result: China suffers from very severe soil erosion and
flooding
Increase in goats, sheep and cattle
Increasing
desertification, the
Gobi desert expanded
by 52,400 km2 from
1994 to 1999.
Winter storms create
enormous dust storms
affecting Korea and
Japan
Water Shortage
 300 cities out of Chinas 617 cities suffer from
shortage, halting industrial production.
 2/3 from groundwater mining – salt water
intrusion in coastal areas and subsidence in some
cities
 World’s worst cessation of river flows. Yellow river
stopped flowing during 20 of the years 1972-1997
 Number of days without flow increased from 90
days a year in 1980 to 230 days in 1997
Water Pollution
 Due to China’s population being over one billion, their
water supply is slowly disappearing.
 Their water is also being contaminated by the industrial
growth with benzene which causes cancer.
For example, on November 24,
2005, there was an explosion at a
chemical plant in northeastern
China. It spilled 100 tons of benzene
in the Songhua River. Due to this,
the city of Harbin was forced to shut
its water supply to 3.8 million
people for a week.
Air Pollution
 16 of the world's 20 most
polluted cities are in
China.
 In Nov 2010, China
published a report that
said 1/3 of 113 cities had
failed to meet the national
air standards
 According to the
government, 1/5 of China’s
urban population breathe
heavily polluted air
Air Pollution: Beijing
 According to China’s air quality scale, any pollution
rating above 300 means the air is unsafe to breathe.
(Under these conditions, people should stay indoors
with an air purifier and remain as motionless as
possible!)
 In January alone, there were 19 days when the index
in Beijing surpassed that 300 threshold
 The highest reading was 866 – same as living in a
smoking lounge
Impacts: Air Pollution
 Nearly 30% of respiratory
disease in China is
attributed to air pollution.
 500 major cities in China
exceed safe air quality
levels.
 Acid rain affects more
than 30% of the country.
 Over 75% of China’s SO2 pollution, acid rain, and
CO2 emissions come from coal combustion.
Coal and Energy Consumption
 Coal is the number one
source of air pollution in
China
 China gets 80% of its
electricity and 70% of its total
power from coal
 Around 6 million tons of coal
is burned everyday to power
factories, heat homes, cook
meals
Environmental Degradation
 The distribution of
environmental
degradation is the
result of a long history
economic
development
programs and political
repression
 Distribution of Acid Rain
2002
Lack of Industrial Controls
 Great economic development during the 1980s led
to increased pollution.
 Demand has risen over time in China and
industries have met this with increased output.
They have not added any controls to the air
released from smokestacks, though.
 By 2020, China’s carbon dioxide emissions will
surpass the U.S., and the United States and China
“would contribute more to global warming than all
other nations combined.”
Statistics in this slide are from China Revs Up 2004 unless otherwise labeled.
Development Targets
 By 2020:
 Quadruple 2000 GDP (4 x $1.08 trillion)
 Double energy consumption (which, without care, could easily be
tripled)
 Increase per capita GDP from $850 in 2000 to $3000 (real $2000)
in 2020
 Attain “Three Transcendences”:
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1. Sustainable development
2. Peaceful rise as a great power
3. Be governed by the rule of law; create a harmonious socialist society
 By 2010:
 Reduce energy intensity by 20% below 2005 levels
 Reduce absolute emissions by 10% below 2005 levels
 The country has already fallen seriously behind in meeting these
targets
Ministry of Environmental Protection
 The Ministry of Environmental Protection of the
People's Republic of China, formerly the State
Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), is
a cabinet-level ministry in the executive branch of
the Chinese Government.
 It is responsible for implementing environmental
policies, as well as the enforcement of environmental
laws and regulations.
Ministry of Environmental Protection
National Peoples Congress,
State Council
SETC
NDRC
(disbanded in 2003)
(formerly SDPC)
SEPA
(State Industrial Bureaus)
(Provincial Industrial
Bureaus and ETCs)
Provincial Development
Commissions
Provincial EPBs
(Local Industrial Bureaus
and ETCs)
Local Development
Commissions
Local EPBs
Causes of Environmental Problems
Environment
Energy
Economy
China’s environmental
problems are grim.
While neighbors feel the
impacts, China itself
suffers the most from its
pollution.
To solve the problems,
need to understand the
causes. A look at the
“3Es” – energy,
economy, and
environment – offers
insights.
China 3Es: Interests and Trends
 Economic Development:
 Economic Growth, Industrial Modernization, Market
Development
 Environment:
 Improve Water and Air Quality, Reduce Waste; SO2 (not
CO2) of Main Concern
 Energy:
 Improve Efficiency and Reduce Pollution; Rely on Coal;
Expand Electricity, Natural Gas, Renewables
Why?? The Future?
 China has many environmental issues, severely
affecting its environment as well as human health.
 Rapid industrialization as well as lax environmental
oversight have contributed to the problems.
Economic Growth
Environmental
Problems
Environmental Policy: The Future?
 Increased problems related to the environment
means that China will have to “reverse” its policy
focus – by looking at the economic aspects of
environment
Economic Growth
Environmental
Problems
Environmental “Protection”?
Economic
policies
Environmental
policies
Environmental
Policies
Economic Policies
Right now,
economic policies
and
environmental
policies are in
“conflict”
Environmental
issues need to be
made a part of
economic growth
and development
policies
 Use the same causes of
Globalization
environmental problems
to find solutions for the
future:
1. Globalization and
market forces
Lifestyle Changes
2. Lifestyle changes
Policy Focus
Industrial
Policies
Policy
Focus
Urbanization
Policies
Integrated
Environmental
Management
Policies
Contact me …
Class website:
http://www.gdrc.info/iep
Prof. Hari Srinivas
Room: I-312
Tel: 079-565-7406
Email: [email protected]