Clean Air at What Cost?
The Rise of Blunt Force Regulation in China

Why would political leaders shutter entire industries, decimate local economies, and destroy jobs just to clean up the air?

Denise Sienli van der Kamp (Author)

9781009152648, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 19 January 2023

256 pages
23.5 x 15.9 x 2 cm, 0.53 kg

'[This] book effectively uncovers the motivations and impacts of China's Blunt Force Regulation in environmental governance. The author combines theoretical and empirical research to offer a novel interpretation of China's approach, showcasing significant innovation. The core arguments are thought-provoking, noting that while Blunt Force Regulation may yield short-term results, its high costs and local economic disruptions warrant policy reflection. This book provides fresh perspectives on China's environmental policies and valuable insights for other developing countries facing environmental challenges.' Ran An, Environmental Politics

China's green transition is often perceived as a lesson in authoritarian efficiency. In just a few years, the state managed to improve air quality, contain dissent, and restructure local industry. Much of this was achieved through top-down, 'blunt force' solutions, such as forcibly shuttering or destroying polluting factories. This book argues that China's blunt force regulation is actually a sign of weak state capacity and ineffective bureaucratic control. Integrating case studies with quantitative evidence, it shows how widespread industry shutdowns are used, not to scare polluters into respecting pollution standards, but to scare bureaucrats into respecting central orders. These measures have improved air quality in almost all Chinese cities, but at immense social and economic cost. This book delves into the negotiations, trade-offs, and day-to-day battles of local pollution enforcement to explain why governments employ such costly measures, and what this reveals about a state's powers to govern society.

1. Introduction: clean air at what cost?
2. Blunt force regulation
3. Why blunt force regulation?
4. Blunt force regulation and bureaucratic control
5. The impact of blunt force regulation
6. What are the alternatives?
7. Managing the risks
8. Comparative implications
9. Conclusion
Appendix
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Pollution control [TQK], International environmental law [LBBP], Political economy [KCP], Environmental economics [KCN]