China: Climate Justice Without a Social Movement?

Abstract

This chapter starts with a brief summary of the main shifts in the Chinese government’s general attitudes on climate change and justice, and then explains the main non-state actors and NGOs in the field and their main contribution to voicing alternative opinions. Juxtaposing both governmental and non-governmental climate initiatives sheds light on the fact that NGOs are late comers and less than junior partners, in contrast with governmental agencies, in China’s climate politics. In addition to pointing out this general pattern of political dynamics and the unfinished task of merging climate policy discourse with general discussions on political reform and social justice in the country, at the end of this chapter I call attention to a number of issue areas in China that could present more visible evidence of differentiated vulnerabilities to climate change in future.