Pollution prevention incentives and responses in Chinese firms
- Univ. of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
- Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)
Pollution prevention (P2), which the Chinese define to include process changes, energy and water conservation, as well as materials reuse and recycling, stands in sharp contrast to the traditional approach to pollution control: generate waste and then treat it. Based on the authors study of 26 electroplating enterprises in four Chinese cities, the authors divided factors motivating firms to adopt P2 measures into three groups: economic incentives, environmental policy incentives, and individual and social incentives. The authors then used four variables to categorize an electroplating factory`s use of P2 as a response to these incentive: awareness of the P2 concept, leadership commitment of P2, presence of a P2 champion in the factory, and goals for P2. Firms they viewed as having a proactive environmental management strategy scored highest on all four variables and adopted the largest number of P2 measures. At the other extreme, firms using resistive strategies scored poorly on all four variables and never adopted P2 measures intentionally. Other firms used reactive strategies: they deliberately adopted P2 measures, but usually in the narrow context of a particular workshop or environmental medium. Only proactive firms viewed pollution prevention as a factory wide management strategy for enhancing profits while abating pollution. The authors analysis suggests actions that might increase the number of firms using proactive environmental management strategies.
- OSTI ID:
- 696786
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Journal Name: Environmental Impact Assessment Review Journal Issue: 5-6 Vol. 19; ISSN 0195-9255; ISSN EIARDK
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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