Local Climate Governance in China : Hybrid Actors and Market Mechanisms

Based on the empirical analysis of the effectiveness of four provincial centres for the diffusion of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), a market mechanism for emission reductions, Miriam Schröder scrutinizes the strengths and weaknesses of hybrid actors' performance on the local Chinese carbon market. Based on the empirical analysis of the effectiveness of four provincial centres for the diffusion of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), a market mechanism for emission reductions, Miriam Schroder scrutinizes the strengths and weaknesses of hybrid actors' performance on the local Chinese carbon market. Climate change and China have become the buzz words in the effort to fight global warming. China has now become the world's leading host country for the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), a mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This surprising success story reveals how market mechanisms work out well even in countries with economies in transition and market actors that are public-private hybrids. Miriam Schroder analyzes how local semi-public agencies have performed in the diffusion process for spreading knowledge and capacity for CDM. Based on extensive research of four provincial CDM centers, she discloses how these agencies contributed to kick-starting the local Chinese carbon market. Findings reveal that the CDM center approach is a recommendable, but improvable model for other countries in need for local CDM capacity development. It is also shown that hybrid actors in emerging economies like China need to improve their accountability if they are indeed to contribute to public goods provision for environmental governance Climate change and China have become the buzz words in the effort to fight global warming. China has now become the world's leading host country for the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), a mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This surprising success story reveals how market mechanisms work out well even in countries with economies in transition and market actors that are public-private hybrids. Miriam Schroeder analyzes how local semi-public agencies have performed in the diffusion process for spreading knowledge and capacity for CDM. Based on extensive research of four provincial CDM centers, she discloses how these agencies contributed to kick-starting the local Chinese carbon market. Findings reveal that the CDM center approach is a recommendable, but improvable model for other countries in need for local CDM capacity development. It is also shown that hybrid actors in emerging economies like China need to improve their accountability if they are indeed to contribute to public goods provision for environmental governance Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction....Pages 1-14 Front Matter....Pages 15-15 Climate Change as a New Challenge to Environmental Governance in China....Pages 17-41 Front Matter....Pages 43-43 The Need for Capacity Development in the Early CDM Market....Pages 45-74 The Role of Agencies in Diffusing the CDM....Pages 75-94 A Case Study on the Performance of Four CDM Centers....Pages 95-137 The Role of Diffusion Catalysts....Pages 138-170 Front Matter....Pages 171-171 The Blurring of the Public/Private Boundary....Pages 173-190 Conclusion: How to Make Hybrid Actors Accountable for the Provision of Public Goods....Pages 191-201 Back Matter....Pages 202-229 Based on the empirical analysis of the effectiveness of four provincial centres for the diffusion of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), a market mechanism for emission reductions, Miriam Schroeder scrutinizes the strengths and weaknesses of hybrid actors' performance on the local Chinese carbon market.