Carbon trading has the potential to become the mainstream climate change policy approach, finding its way in China, the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter and second largest economy. Focusing on political dimensions, Alex Lo explores the discourse of carbon trading in this country. As a socialist market economy, China emerges as an exception, where liberal forms of political and market norms do not prevail. The author provides a review of the policy development process and institutional issues about the construction of carbon markets in China. He also presents a critique about the political origins and drivers of the national preference for market institutions, and narratives about the relationship between national power and climate change action.

Auteur

Alex Lo is Assistant Professor at the Kadoorie Institute of the University of Hong Kong. He specializes in environmental politics and economics and holds a PhD from the Australian National University. Previously he was a lecturer at Griffith University, Australia. His research addresses critical issues about valuing, managing, and governing the environment.

Résumé

This book explores the political aspects of China's climate change policy, focusing on the newly established carbon markets and carbon trading schemes. Lo makes a case for understanding the policy change in terms of discourse and in relation to narratives of national power and development.

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