Comparative Research On Environment Regulation Of Pulp And Paper Industry Between China And USA

Pulp and paper industry is one of the basic industries in China. Alone with the fastdeveloping economy, this industry makes an extraordinary progress in category, quality andstructure of product, as well as technology and environmental management after the introductionof advanced technology, absorbing foreign investment, closing or diminishing companies withhigh energy consumption and increasing governmental investment in environmental protection.However, in terms of high energy and resource consumption and high emission of three industrialwastes, pulp and paper industry is still one of manufacturing business confronting seriousenvironmental destruction. Especially wastewater, waste gas and waste solid, which are producedduring the manufacturing process, have affected environment gradually significantly. And thefollowed conflict between ecological problem, social problem, economic development andenergy consumption is increasingly prominent. To improve this environmental problem, theChinese government makes a series of environmental protection policies, like pollution charge,making pollution standards, emission trading and making related tax laws. Under the globalmanufacturing developing background, this paper focuses on American paper industry, which hasthe largest production in the world. In this research, we analyzed American paper environmentalregulation and its outcome, compared American paper industry regulation with othermanufacturing industries and concluded the traits and the inspiration. In a meanwhile, in terms ofcurrent situation of pollution emission and energy consumption in paper industry, qualitativeanalysis and DEA empirical research are applied to analyze the content, performance andproblems of environmental regulation in this industry. Finally, by comparing American andChinese environmental regulation in different point of views, this rpaper offers recommendationsto improve the sustainable development of paper industry: clean out backward plants, continue topush the Clean Production Audit, modify the emission standard and set up a special fund.