Sustainable development governance in action: China

Abstract

This chapter reviews China's decades-long strategic pursuit of sustainable development from the perspectives of both its institutional building and its actions of sustainable development governance. Steered by its four generations of top political leaders since 1976, China's pathway to sustainable development has evolved from pollution for development, passive pollution control and active environmental stewardship to proactive ecological regeneration. Manifested in the institutional arrangements are the gradually established national legal regime of environmental and ecological protection and the increasingly enhanced governance capacity. Specifically, China's sustainable development in action is featured in tightening up regulatory control of polluting industries, allying with non-state actors such as eNGOs in policy formulation and implementation, and proactively participating in international cooperation on sustainable development. After decades of these organized efforts, China has achieved notable progress in the pollution control of all major environmental sectors. The notable trend of China's integrating economic progress, ecological recovery and social well-being into its sustainability governance is testament to its positive response to the UN's adoption of The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.