Local climate change governance in China: an analysis of social network and cross-sector collaboration in capacity development

ABSTRACT

The pilot emission trading schemes in China have driven a new wave of local collaborations among state and non-state actors. Strong networks have been formed to support capacity development, potentially improving the quality of governance through inclusion and engagement. However, the currently poor knowledge about the structure of these networks poses a barrier to identifying who and what drive better climate change governance in China. This paper delineates a network of organizations involved in the development of the pilot emission trading scheme of Guangdong Province. It is based on a social network analysis using primary data from structured interviews with 45 local organizations. We identified key organizations who coordinated the network, and provided some explanations about the enabling conditions. Findings show that the network was oligopolistic. Connections were mediated by a handful of organizations with different degrees of public-private hybridity. Government agencies, civil society organizations, compliance enterprises, and management consultancies were not key network builders. Hybrid organizations and cross-sector initiatives have a high potential to become a transformative institutional innovation for improving governance in China. Further research into their contributions and impacts is warranted.

KEYWORDS:

• Climate change governance
• emission trading
• hybrid organization
• social network analysis
• China

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 41601605]. The useful advice and support provided by the China Emissions Exchange throughout the research process are greatly appreciated.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributors

Kang Chen completed his PhD at the University of Hong Kong. His research interests include climate governance, local sustainability and environment management. He received a master degree in urban economic development and investigated the sustainability issues of resource-dependent cities in China. He has conducted research on the capacity building of carbon market in China, exploring the cross-boundary interactions between different stakeholders and analyzing the networks of collaborations between governmental and non-governmental actors.

Alex Y. Lo holds degrees in business and finance, geography and political science. He conducted research in Australia and Hong Kong before moving to New Zealand. A significant part of his research addresses problems associated with the broader socio-political issues concerning the use of market-based policy approaches, notably emission trading. He also researches public and organizational perceptions and experiences of climate change, and the ways in which these interact with narratives of economic development.

Notes

1 Because this SNA study focuses on a specific policy issue, i.e. the ETS, we asked our interviewees to respond to these questions based on their involvement in the ETS and related activities. As a result, the connectivity identified in our study is issue-specific. However, the interviewees were asked to respond as a representative of their organization (or a unit/department of a larger organization) so that organizational connectivity can be detected.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 41601605]. The useful advice and support provided by the China Emissions Exchange throughout the research process are greatly appreciated.