Reform along the other line

SCIENCE AND GOVERNMENT: Revolutionizing China's Environmental Protection -- Liu and Diamond 319 (5859): 37 -- Science

Along the lines of economic and political reform, reform in another most-ignored-so-far aspect -- environment, is proposed as a new agenda in China's eleventh five-year plan.  Although there have been efforts to incorporate environmental considerations into the country's development before, we still see accelerating pollution, depleting resources and a few environmental catastrophes in the past year. 

The article discusses what should and can be done.  It suggests reforming the administrative system, re-introducing public Green-GDP auditing, as well as a change in the development model, though the last point is barely explained.  However, the implement of these suggestions are almost as difficult as political reform, as it involves the basic systems of how things work.  Basically, these measures will need a bigger, more powerful State Environment Protection Agency, if not as powerful as EPA in the Simpsons Movie.  It needs to be an enforcer rather than an adviser, and its branches not responsible to local government but directly to SEPA and local people.  It should also have as much a say as the National Bureau of Statistics in whether and how Green-GDP and loss from environmental problems should be calculated and published.  These roles are not possible in a single-hierarchical system, in which one big government has the final say in affairs of every sector on every level and uses only monetary measurements of performance.

In terms of development model, officially the attitude of the State is that China is not following developed countries which pollute first and treat the pollution later.  But in a micro-scale, industries are still walking down this path.  Still, the SEPA can do very little with these matters.  There are crackdowns and bans on polluting bodies, but that is after the pollution or even environmental disasters.  The monitoring and auditing of environmental performance is almost a blank, as there is no law requesting such report to be provided by the industry on a regular basis.  There is neither requirement of development of cleaner production technologies in regulations or policies.  After the initial environmental impact assessment, the industry is left to do what it likes as long as it maintains the status approved by the initial, possibly incomplete and faulty EIA report, until something breaks.

The article also calls for more transparency in the report of environmental qualities and measurements.  Again this is very difficult if local EPAs are just a advisory attachment to the local government and too many interests are interlocked.  The grassroots are becoming a potential force of environment protection in China.  Nevertheless from a scientist's view it is better if they have their own expertise and some knowledgeable figures to lead their action.

I think, at least something can be done to make environment more relevant in China.  In legislation, it would be desirable if regular environmental monitoring/auditing is regulated as a mandatory practice, and continual improvement a recommended measure of business social responsibility.  As a student of relevant subjects, I also hope that private sectors are allowed to join the SEPA in establishing a healthy environmental auditing and consulting network, which is able to improve numerous industries' environmental profile, as well as creating many jobs and contribute to the economy.

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