Enhancing China’s Regulatory Framework for Eco-Industrial Parks : Comparative Analysis of Chinese and International Green Standards
China has impressed the world with its rapid economic growth over the past four decades, during which time it has increased its real income per capita by more than 25 times. However, the attendant environmental costs have also been significant, jeo...
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| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2019
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/950911554814522228/Enhancing-China-s-Regulatory-Framework-for-Eco-Industrial-Parks-Comparative-Analysis-of-Chinese-and-International-Green-Standards http://hdl.handle.net/10986/31572 |
| Summary: | China has impressed the world with its
rapid economic growth over the past four decades, during
which time it has increased its real income per capita by
more than 25 times. However, the attendant environmental
costs have also been significant, jeopardizing economic and
social gains from growth. To move toward sustainable
development and reduce the environmental impact of further
economic growth, the Chinese government has started to
prioritize green development and the building of an
ecological civilization. China’s 13th Five-Year Plan
(2016−2020) has upgraded the building of the ecological
civilization to the level of national strategy — a policy
target of top priority.According to the Ministry of Ecology
and Environment (MEE), industrial parks (IPs) are the key
source of industrial production and all new industrial
projects are required to be operated within industrial parks
(Zhang 2018). The growing concentration of industrial
activities within IPs suggests that an increasing proportion
of industrial pollution will be produced in IPs. Thus,
promoting green development of IPs will be vital for the
achievement of China’s and the world’s sustainable
development goals.Effective management of IPs toward green
development requires a well-functioning regulatory framework
to provide standards, requirements, guidelines, and robust
monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks. Although
China does not have a specific IP management law, a
comprehensive regulatory framework is in place, covering
different legislative levels including (from top to bottom
in terms of their importance) laws, regulations, national
policies, and standards and indicators. This regulatory
framework covers multiple aspects of IP management,
including requirements concerning the economic and
environmental performances of IPs.This report conducts a
comparative analysis between the Chinese green standards and
the EIP Framework across all four dimensions—park management
and economic, social, and environmental performance— to
identify differences and share policy recommendations for
further improvements of the Chinese standards. |
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