Public Participation in Environmental Protection: What China Can Learn from the European Experience

Abstract

Abstract

accompanied by the increasing number of non-official environmental protests that may damage the social order. Consequently, constructing the well-formed official channels for public participation is significant and pivotal for Chinese sustainable development. Prior to analyzing the current status of Chinese public participation in environmental protection, the European experience is reviewed: The history of European public participation in environmental protection can be divided into three stages: spontaneous public participation, movement lead by political party, public involved policy making. The current stage of Chinese environmental protection is analogous to the stage in 1970s of Europe in which environmental protests are held spontaneously. However, in author’s opinion, China cannot go through exactly the same path as the remaining two stages of Europe, due to the different political system, social backgrounds, environmental awareness and other facts. Nevertheless, this paper still strives to address what China can expect from European experience of public participation in environmental protection field, which is explained by several aspects as theoretical methods, policy-making model, NGOs and digital governance. The main purpose of this series of research is aiming at leading Chinese public to get involved in environmental protection and make public participation in a qualified environmental policy-making system.

Keywords: public participation – environmental protection – policy

-----

Bibliography: Dang, Wenqi: Public Participation in Environmental Protection: What China Can Learn from the European Experience, PCS, 1-2014, pp. 61-81. https://doi.org/10.3224/pcs.v5i1.19819