International Environmental Non-governmental Organizations In China And Their Impact On Chinese Environmental Governance

Over the past few decades,China has recognized the urgent need to address environmental issues,as environmental degradation has significantly influenced the country`s economic and social development.Many governments around the world have been increasingly encouraging the participation of NGOs and other non-state actors in environmental protection management,therefore improving openness,accountability and transparency in the decision-making process.Environmental NGOs are becoming increasingly important in protecting environment in China as well.This research applies transnational advocacy networks theory to study the effectiveness of international environmental NGOs in China.The account of transnational advocacy networks is one of non-state actors that remakes the world politics by overturning the standard notion of power in the international system.The network of NGOs,researchers and experts modify the preferences of states calling on persuasion instead of protest and derangement.This dissertation determines the main political and cultural factors affecting the establishment and development of international environmental NGOs operating in China according to the existing scholarly literature.The aim of this study is to gain knowledge of the context,means and ways in which international environmental NGOs in China engage with the government to influence its policies and decisions.By studying the efforts of the international environmental NGOs in various environmental cases,this study shows that international NGO activities are significantly influenced by the interest of governmental institutions.However,even though the activities of international environmental NGOs are supervised by the government agencies,they still have been successful in influencing government policies and decisions.This study highlights the significance of the role of the NGOs` alliances with other NGOs and government authorities in achieving their goals.In practice,the attitude of the central government and the local governments determined the effectiveness of the environmental campaigns launched by the international NGOs.Following the primary one-on-one interviews with the international NGOs`representatives and relevant scholars in the field,the paper studies the operation of several environmental NGOs in China.Based on the study of successful and failed campaigns,this dissertation enumerates several key factors relevant to an NGO seeking to establish a successful presence in China.Finally,the dissertation offers suggestions that international environmental NGOs may employ while operating in China.