Introduction

During the past three decades of rapid industrial growth, China has suffered from devastating environmental degradation (Economy, 2004). Throughout this period, most scholarly and popular publications have painted a rather pessimistic picture of the trends and the likelihood of their reversal in the near future. Yet somewhat more optimistic views on the prospect for reversal have emerged in the past few years, given the Chinese government’s increased commitment to fighting industrial pollution, the public’s increased concerns regarding the adverse consequences of pollution, and domestic and international civil society’s increased involvement in promoting environmental protection in China (Economy, 2006; Ho, 2007; Lo et al., 2012).