Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
conflict between economic growth and environ-
mental protection is actually more narrow than
generally perceived, as investment in environ-
mental protection and in various sectors of the
clean energy industry would provide high quality
employment at an advanced technological level. In
addition, the environmental industry also inherits
a strong growth potential. Hence, albeit accepting
the crucial importance of economic development
for political legitimacy, an economic growth strat-
egy can also incorporate the goal of protecting
the environment, thereby limiting the potential
negative implications of economic growth on the
environment. Critically, which strategy a country
selects-cleaning up while growing or cleaning
up after successful economic growth-is a funda-
mental political decision made within a specific
historical and social-political environment.
Regarding the situation in China, there are
strong indications that its leadership has become
increasingly aware of the multifaceted, and espe-
cially social-political, challenges environmental
degeneration represent for China and its popula-
tion. The National Eleventh Five-Year-Plan for En-
vironmental Protection (2006-2010) emphasizes
that the existing focus on economic growth should
be replaced with an equal emphasis on both, eco-
nomic development and environmental protection
(The National Eleventh FYP for Environmental
Protection 2006-2010). Nevertheless, the develop-
ment imperative still figures prominently within
the Chinese leadership's considerations, and not
without justification as generating economic
growth provides a crucial element of the extent
of political legitimacy the Chinese Communist
Party (CCP) enjoys.
10
Hence, addressing the en-
vironmental issue also relates to the willingness
of a specific government to accept environmental
degeneration as a critical issue. Nevertheless, ad-
dressing environmental degeneration constitutes
a complex challenge for China's government as
sustaining its economic growth strategy not only
requires the use of more resources in the future,
but in addition, as an increasing part of its popu-
lation will be in a position to consume more, this
too will increase the environmental impact as
well. Although these assessments appear rather
self-evident, they contain fundamental assertions.
Overall, we should not forget that it was not until
the late 1980s that an extensive growth oriented
economic development model was the focus of
almost every government - opening new factories,
building new roads, smoking chimneys - were
interpreted as the manifestation of development.
Equally, increasing consumption was another
expression of success. The environmental impact
this generated was of secondary relevance, if noted
at all. In addition, and of critical importance,
both issues - economic growth, and the ability
to consume - were also instrumental in providing
political legitimacy for many European govern-
ments. The situation in contemporary China is
almost identical, as economic success, and gen-
erating intensive growth as well as the ability of
an emerging middle class to consume forms a
critical part of the political legitimacy the CCP
enjoys. Hence, as mentioned before, identifying
the historical trajectories of development and
social inspired environmental challenges and
putting them in the contemporary context is es-
sential in addressing environmental degeneration
successfully. The difference between the situation
in Europe up to 1980s and contemporary China
are that we are now much more aware of the
negative implications of both excessive economic
growth and overburdening consumption has on
the environment. The very dimensions of China,
in both economically and regarding its population,
representing an additional and crucial factor that
fundamentally contributes to the negative impacts
Chinas development has on climate change and
on environmental issues. Nonetheless, assessing
China's global environmental impact is not as
straightforward as it may appear. Take for ex-
ample the issue of CO2 emissions, where China
overtook the USA in 2006 as the leading global
emitter. The country level data presented in Figure
