Effectiveness of low-carbon governance implementation in china

Abstract

The Chinese government has established ambitious low-carbon targets and various low-carbon development strategies in recent years, showing a strong will for low-carbon governance. However, these strategies can only take effect by transferring into strong actions in practice. This paper, therefore, reviewed the effectiveness of these policies towards low-carbon economy at the governmental, organizational and personal levels. Literature, interview and internet surveys are adopted in the investigation on three dimensions: the change behavior of industry and costumer, education system, and the role of local government. The result shows that the practice of the national strategies in low-carbon governance in China lacks effectiveness and strong enforcement. The suggestions to improve low-carbon governance of China are provided, including establishing a long-term performance evaluation system for local governors, incentives for education system to involve low-carbon and sustainable development, strengthening industry standard, and promoting waste recycling.