Environmental policy change in two transitional societies: a comparative study on anti-incinerator construction in Guangzhou and Taipei

Abstract

Growing the volume of solid waste disposal has been generating numerous social conflicts in recent years, and challenging the transitional societies like Guangzhou and Taipei. This essay compares the dynamics between two cities in the greater China region in reaching a consensus on changing solid waste management policy following anti-incinerator protests in Taipei, Taiwan, and Guangzhou, mainland China by exploring several related questions: How does environmental activism alter changes in the environmental policies of two cases with different political systems? What are the conditions for emerging environmental activism and policy changes? How has the changing coalition opportunity structure changed environmental activism and affected the change in policy? Finally, to what extent do environmental activism and policy change reinforce the process of political transition among these political systems? Through the lens of an advocacy coalition framework (ACF), drawing on the formation of political coalitions and interactions among policy actors are the variables that affect policy change related to incinerator construction in Guangzhou and Taipei, to explore the larger issue about the political transformation of environmental management in these transitional societies, and revisit the application of ACF in transitional societies.