Title: Local climate governance in China : hybrid actors and market mechanisms /
Authors: Schröder, Miriam.
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan,
Year: 2012
Subjects: Sustainable development China; Greenhouse gases Government policy China.; Greenhouse gases Economic aspects China.; Greenhouse gases Environmental aspects China.; Climatic changes Government policy China.; Environmental policy International cooperation; Greenhouse gas mitigation Economic aspects China.; Greenhouse gas mitigation Government policy China.; Greenhouse gas mitigation Law and legislation China.; Political culture China.; Sustainable development Government policy China.; Sustainable development Law and legislation China.; Central government policies China.; Economics.; Environmental economics China.; Global warming China.; Greenhouse gas mitigation; Political economy China.; TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING Environmental Pollution Control.
Abstract: Climate change and China have become the buzz words in the effort to fight global warming. China has now become the world's leading host country for the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), a mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This surprising success story reveals how market mechanisms work out well even in countries with economies in transition and market actors that are public-private hybrids. Miriam Schroeder analyzes how local semi-public agencies have performed in the diffusion process for spreading knowledge and capacity for CDM. Based on extensive research of four provincial CDM centers, she discloses how these agencies contributed to kick-starting the local Chinese carbon market. Findings reveal that the CDM center approach is a recommendable, but improvable model for other countries in need for local CDM capacity development. It is also shown that hybrid actors in emerging economies like China need to improve their accountability if they are indeed to contribute to public goods provision for environmental governance.
Contents: Introduction -- PART I: THE CHALLENGE -- Climate Change as a New Challenge to Environmental Governance in China -- PART II: THE PERFORMANCE OF CDM CENTERS AS SEMI-PUBLIC AGENCIES -- The Need for Capacity Development in the Early CDM Market -- The Role of Agencies in Diffusing the CDM -- Case Study on the Performance of Four CDM Centres -- Lessons Learned about the Role of Diffusion Catalysts -- PART III: IMPLICATIONS OF HYBRID ACTORS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE -- Blurring of Public and Private Boundaries -- Conclusion: How to Make Hybrid Actors Accountable for Public Good Provision.