The Study On Social Learning Mechanism In Environmental Policy Changes In China

Government-led,top-down environmental policy has become increasingly obvious,the bottom-up driving role of social forces has begun to emerge,and the influence of nongovernmental organizations,scholars and public bodies outside the policy subsystem on policy changes has gradually been taken seriously.There are few studies on social learning in environmental policy at home and abroad,which fail to explain the characteristics of social learning in environmental policy changes and the way and logic of promoting policy changes,and this study is an important way to promote the subjective initiative and effectiveness of environmental policy.Therefore,this study selected three typical cases with the participation of social subjects and obvious differences in case progress,namely the incident of changing the site of the garbage incineration plant in Fanyu District of Guangzhou,the implementation of the new “Ambient Air Quality Standard(AAQS)” and the development of the evaluation standard for green buildings in China.This paper analyzes the main body of social learning,social capital and network,policy belief transformation and policy output in each case,trying to dig out the important elements and basic logic of the middle chain of social learning promoting policy change in the course of differentiated policy change,and make theoretical contributions to the establishment of social learning mechanism and the effective promotion of environmental policy change.Specifically,by using the methods of literature study,case study and comparative study,this paper summarizes all kinds of social learning subjects and social learning contents in the three typical environmental policy cases,and discusses the roles and behaviors of government subjects within the policy subsystem and NGO,experts,the public and the media outside the subsystem.According to the belief,the coalition is divided,the social network structure and its characteristics are analyzed,and the important factors and processes that influence the changes of social network,coalition network,belief and resources are explored.This paper analyzes the logical relationship between the change of differentiation policy and social learning in the case.Through study,it found out that there are three types of advocacy coalition based on different belief systems in the environmental policy subsystem.At different stages of environmental policy change,members of the coalition have different social learning contents and ways,but the ultimate goal is to realize their core beliefs.Finally,social learning subjects are classified into four types,and the characteristics of social learning in China's environmental policy are analyzed and summarized from the perspective of social learning subjects.Through the two levels of social learning,the role of social learning in environmental policy was summarized.In addition,there are many defects and deficiencies in social learning in China's environmental policy,such as lack of innovation in learning mechanism and optimization of learning environment.Hence,it should be maintained from two aspects,namely training the awareness of social learning participation and strengthening the construction of social learning platform,thus improving the efficiency of social learning and further making it play a greater role in policy changes.