China's ascent and Africa's environment

被引:58
作者
Mol, Arthur P. J. [1 ]
机构
[1] Wageningne Univ, Dept Social Sci, NL-6706 KN Wageningen, Netherlands
来源
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS | 2011年 / 21卷 / 03期
关键词
China; Africa; Natural resources; Energy; Environment; World-Systems Theory; WORLD-ECONOMY; GOVERNANCE; INVESTMENTS; EMISSIONS;
D O I
10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.03.015
中图分类号
X [环境科学、安全科学];
学科分类号
08 ; 0830 ;
摘要
China's unprecedented economic growth path over the last two decades has been paralleled by an exponential growth in the consumption of natural resources and in pollution. Initially, China mainly exploited domestic resources to fuel its rapid industrial development. But over the last decade, increasing shares of China's natural resources consumption and environmental impacts relate to peripheral regions, including sub-Saharan Africa. China's environmental impacts in peripheral regions seem in line with World-Systems Theory predictions for ascending world powers. This paper assesses the extent to which the World-Systems Theory idea of 'environmentally unequal exchange' between ascending world powers and peripheral economies reflects current behaviour of Chinese governmental authorities and companies in sub-Saharan Africa. It concludes that the theory only partly does so. Behaviour of Chinese governmental authorities and firms is conditioned and guided by environmental norms, as well. World-Systems Theory has to make conceptual space for such new environmental behaviour of ascending world powers, to understand the contemporary and future world-systems. At the same time, China has a long way to go before becoming the 'green' exemplar for the world to follow. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
引用
收藏
页码:785 / 794
页数:10
相关论文
共 78 条
  • [1] AFRODAD (African Forum and Network on Debt and Development), 2010, CHIN DEV ASS SO AFR
  • [2] Green Credit, Green Stimulus, Green Revolution? China's Mobilization of Banks for Environmental Cleanup
    Aizawa, Motoko
    Yang, Chaofei
    [J]. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENT & DEVELOPMENT, 2010, 19 (02) : 119 - 144
  • [3] Alden Chris., 2007, CHINA AFRICA
  • [4] [Anonymous], CIVILISATION MAT EC
  • [5] [Anonymous], 2009, AGR INVESTMENT INT L
  • [6] [Anonymous], ENV CHANGE S E ASIA
  • [7] [Anonymous], 2009, 41 S AFR I INT AFF
  • [8] [Anonymous], 1 GLPIPO
  • [9] Arrighi Giovanni., 2007, Adam Smith in Beijing
  • [10] Broadman HG, 2007, AFRICA'S SILK ROAD: CHINA AND INDIA'S NEW ECONOMIC FRONTIER, P1, DOI 10.1596/978-0-8213-6835-0