CHINA’S ENVIRONMENT

IS CHINA DOING ENOUGH TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT?

Pablo Bustelo

Elcano Royal Institute, ARI 141/2101, November 11, 2010

Summary: Some news in recent weeks has brought Chinas grave environmental situation back into the spotlight. This analysis looks, first, at the main causes of the sharp deterioration in the country’s environmental conditions. It then sets out some figures illustrating what might be described as a genuine environmental nightmare. Thirdly, the main policies for environmental protection are listed and assessed, to conclude that, with a few exceptions, they are actually quite ambitious and, at all events, much stricter and more numerous than is generally believed in the West, although evidently there is still a long way to go.

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