Prompt
Although the Biden Administration had engaged internationally on issues of climate change, the first Trump Administration vacated the important U.S. role in advancing measures to deal with climate change. Statements by President Trump on social media and media reports indicate the second Trump Administration will take a tack on this important manner similar to that of the first Trump Administration. Meanwhile, the People’s Republic is increasingly playing a leadership role on the international stage in moving international cooperation in dealing with climate change forward. China has taken important steps to develop its non-fossil fuel sectors of its energy economy, and its leadership recognizes that the astounding economic development that has propelled China forward has also resulted in significant environmental problems. What do you think, is it likely that China will be able to accomplish its sustainability goals nationally and internationally without fully allowing information critical of state-owned industries and government leaders to circulate freely on the Internet?
Response
While it is possible that China can achieve its sustainability goals with its authoritarian style of control, their lack of transparency and the limiting of the public’s access to important information will likely hold back their progress. For a long time the United States has been a leader in global climate change efforst, but the Trump Administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and other international climate accords have created an opportunity for China to swoop in and take the lead. It is also of note that while efforts on this front are a net gain for humanity, it is likely that China’s efforts are not entirely altruistic. The Chinese government has a vested interest in maintaining its power and control over the populace, and it is likely that their efforts to combat climate change are more about maintaining their grip on power than they are about saving the planet.
One big reason this effort is likely to fail is that a large portion of environmental policy is extremely dependent on the transparency of shared government data, which the Chinese government is infamously known for suppressing. The Chinese government has a long history of suppressing criticism and dissent, which we have seen very recently regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The suppression of ciriticism and dissent is a surefire way for the government to cover up or manipulate reports, and this will be further exacerbated by the fact that such a large portion of Chinese industry is state-owned. This will create a need for NGOs and other independent watchdogs to step in and identify pollution hotspots, which will be made difficult by the fact that the Chinese government has a long history of censoring independent journalism. Likely only sources like Sattelite imagery will be able to identify these hotspots, but this is imperfect.
If China is to lead this effort, they will need to allow for some degree of public access to critical information, especially regarding environmental issues. This is not only necessary for the Chinese government to be able to identify and address these issues, but for international trust and cooperation. Without credible, verifiable information from China, it is likely that these efforts will be met with skepticism and distrust from the international community, and yield a net negative result. While China can make progress with top-down mandates, long-term success—especially in global collaboration—requires a more open information environment.