1

Challenges to Environmental

Policies & Management

SONG GuojunRenmin University of China

2007-10-19Beijing

2

Challenges to Environmental Policies & Management

Water and air pollution in China Challenges to Environmental Policies

and Management key water and air pollution control

policies to be study

3

Water quality in China

Official water quality data In general, water quality is deteriorated in

Area of water body More pollutants degree Time period

The quality of water quality data monitored by water supply company is best

The quality of water quality data monitored by SEPA sector and MWR sector is not very good

Only several automatic monitoring stations

4

Water quality in China

My observation Limited water quality data

Limited monitoring sections Large rivers, large Lakes No monitoring for rural small river A few underground monitoring

Lower sampling frequency Every two month

SEPA has no monitoring capacity The monitoring behavior of local EPB affected by

local interest The situation is more serious than that from officials

5

Water effluents in China

Official effluent data Not under control Most effluent data is self report by industries Local EPB has no enough incentives to

conduct enough monitoring and verification The data quality of water effluents is bad The concept is not clear The statistical process need to redefine also

6

Water effluents in China

My observation Not under control also

Industrial enterprisesUrban domestic waste water plantsVillage and town enterprises

The real effluent is much larger than official data

There is few guidance to ensure the effluent data quality

7

Air pollution in China

Urban air quality PM10 improved in most cities SO2 improved also NOx increase in some megacities

Air pollutant emission Centralized emission

Higher larger

8

Air pollution in China

Acid rain control Acid rain area enlarged Some places more seriously

Acid substance emission is not under control Official state There is no seriously verification

9

Challenges to Environmental Policies and Management

Water pollution control policy General framework Pollution sources’ control pollutants

Air pollution control policy Urban air pollution control Acid rain control

10

Water pollution control policy

Mainly end-pipe control Effluent standards Meeting discharge standards

Urban waste water treatment plant is a key measure Need fund from central government

Cleaner production and circular economy are just beginning

Non-point sources pollution do not start yet

11

Air pollution control policy “meeting discharge standards” is the main policy for point sources Urban infrastructure building contribute the air quality much

Air quality monitoring Air quality questionnaire

Urban environmental examine system Pilot environmental protection city system

EIA, Three simultaneous system New sources

“Total Emission Control” has little effect There no strict permit system

Focus on conventional pollutants PM10, SO2, NOx

12

Air pollution control policy

There is no strong instrument for SO2 emission control No permit system

No regulation

Total emission control is similar to a slogan EIA has demand all new coal power plants

build FGD but there is no regulation to ensure their operation

13

Environmental institutional arrangement in China

SEPA Propose law and regulation Make guidance

All enforced by local government Municipal government County government The targets are industrial sources

There is no effective instrument to urge local government to enforce the regulations fully

14

Environmental institutional arrangement in China

SEAP Making policies Water quality statistics Water effluents statistics If water quality is above ambient water standards

Urge local government to comply with the standards Central government has no capacity for

Monitoring Taking direct actions

15

Environmental institutional arrangement in China

Local government is responsible for enforcement and implementation Monitoring ambient water quality

Follow the national guidance Fund by local government

Pollution control Meeting discharge standards for industrial sources Meeting discharge standards for other sources

Pollution levy and relocate EIA for new sources

16

Key water and air pollution control policies to be study

Strict permit system for large point sources

Special national fund for domestic waste water treatment and solid waste treatment

Non-point sources control policy Circular economy policy Public participation

17

permit system Strict permit system for large point sources

Industrial sources Local EPB

Urban waste water treatment plant Central or provincial government

Coal fire power plant for acid rain control Central government

Regulation study Guidance study

monitoring verification evaluation

18

Special national fund for domestic waste water treatment and solid

waste treatment

How to convince the decision makers the necessary

How to design How operate How much

19

Non-point sources control policy

Regulation design subsidy Government purchase compensate Urbanization strategy

Industrial parkSmall citiesMiddle size cities

20

Circular economy policy Discharge standards reform with circular economy

thinking Product life circle

Raw materials Production Consumption Landfill

Environmental techniques renovation policy Encourage market to participate Refine the role of government

Research Direct investment Subsidy education

21

Public participation Information management

regulation Data base Data standards Data quality improvement

Decision making mechanism study Transparent

Policy evaluation Professional information publishing

22

Thank you for your attention!