Environmental protection: the 'implementation gap'

Overview

China's structural dependence on manufacturing industries, the source of both its pollution and of its economic growth, creates an enormous challenge for the central government. Policy-making as such is only a part of the problem, and not even the main part. While official policies come under predictably critical expert scrutiny, some key areas are commended as being intrinsically adequate. So far, so not-too-bad. At the heart of this story, however, lie institutional weaknesses....