Environmental sustainability

Environmental sustainability is a key challenge to China’s rise, and to the world, as China rises. Rapid industrialization has brought with it massive environmental degradation that now affects both the Chinese population and the regional and global climate. Pollution of air, water and soil is becoming a key health hazard in China and is creating massive migration and negative impacts on industry. It has become a major source of domestic discontent and as such poses a threat to the continuation of the one-party state. At the same time, many now look to China as a potential leader of global accords for environmental protection, and the Chinese state is investing heavily in finding more sustainable solutions to energy consumption and security.

Lancaster University has a strong history of research and business collaboration relating to environmental sustainability. We collaborate with government, business, policymakers, NGOs, and academic partners in many parts of China, and this is a key focus of research through our Lancaster College in Weihai, Shandong province. We also have a strong history of offering consulting and opportunities for mutual learning for the UK and other international business and organisations, that have or want to have customers, suppliers, or partners in China.

Recent publications on environmental sustainability

Linjun Cheng, Shuai Wang, Zhengyu Gon, Hong Li, Qi Yang, Yeyao Wang (2018) ‘Regionalization based on spatial and seasonal variation in ground-level ozone concentrations across China’, Journal of Environmental Sciences. 67, pp. 179-190.

Wang, J., Qiu, Y., He, S., Liu, N., Xiao, C. & Liu, L. (2018) ‘Investigating the driving forces of NOx generation from energy consumption in China’, Journal of Cleaner Production. 184, pp. 836-846.

Guo, M., Zhang, Y., Ye, W., Liu, L., Bi, J. & Wang, J. (2018) ‘Pricing the permission of pollution: Optimal control-based simulation of payments for the initial emission allowance in China’, Journal of Cleaner Production. 174, pp. 139-149.

Liu, L., Zhang, M., Hendry, L. C., Bu, M. & Wang, S. (2018) ‘Supplier development practices for sustainability: a multi-stakeholder perspective’, Business Strategy and the Environment. 27(1), pp. 100-116.

Guilbaud, R., Slater, B.J., Poulton, S.W., Harvey, T.H., Brocks, J., Nettesheim, B.J., Butterfield, N.J. (2018) Oxygen minimum zones in the early Cambrian ocean. Geochemical Perspectives Letters. 6, pp. 33-38.

Zhu, Y., Price, O. R., Kilgallon, J., Qi, Y., Tao, S and Jones, K. C. (2018) 'Drivers of contaminant levels in surface water of China during 2000-2030: relative importance for illustrative home and personal care product chemicals', Environment International. 115, pp. 161-169.

Resources on environmental sustainability

China Dialogue 中外对话: fully bilingual, environment-focused news and analysis.

China Water Risk: analysis and resources for studying China’s water issues, curated by a non-profit seeking to promote the responsible use of China’s water resources.

Environmental Law Professor Blog: archive of China-related commentary from world experts in environmental law.

International Water Law Project: an array of resources on the future of law and policy, including dozens of China-related documents.