The Party leads: Chinese air pollution as complex system

Stanton, Alasdair T. (2025) The Party leads: Chinese air pollution as complex system. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This research offers a complex systems framework for understanding the local national dynamics of Chinese governance, with reference to rapid improvements in Chinese air quality over the period 2008-2018. There are a number of competing explanations for the historically poor implementation of air quality laws and policies: a mismatch between local economic incentives and air quality laws; low ranking environmental bureaucracies are overpowered by other interests; environmental projects are unlikely to lead to cadre promotions; polluting SOEs are able to avoid or easily pay off environmental fines. Empirical data was collected from satellite and official pollution data, government documents and a case study of a winter heating SOE. Analysis showed that pollution abatement was caused by local government’s significant capital investment in upgrading winter heating technologies. Funding in turn was caused by greater political emphasis on air quality by central government. It is hypothesised that the core governance mechanism explaining differences in environmental implementation consists of the simple parameter financial resources and a complex parameter, policy emphasis. Computational models of winter heating governance support this hypothesis, producing an approximate measure of changing environmental emphasis over time. Overall, the proposed governance framework remains hierarchical, but local governments exercise varying degrees of policy-specific independence. This study thus highlights the dynamic roles of both decentralisation and authoritarian environmentalism in shaping Chinese environmental governance outcomes.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences; J Political Science > JQ Political institutions Asia; J Political Science > JS Local government Municipal government; R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
• Colleges/Schools: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences
• Supervisor's Name: Munro, Dr. Neil and Silverman, Dr. Eric
• Date of Award: 2025
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2025-85644
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 11 Dec 2025 09:37
• Last Modified: 11 Dec 2025 10:18
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.85644
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/85644