On August 3rd the Beijing government announced a new “green performance system,” where the careers of Government and party officials will be determined by their performance in meeting environment protection and energy efficiency targets. In the past, officials were judged mainly on their ability to promote economic growth and there was little incentive to protect the environment or act against polluters.
In addition to the “new green performance system”, a new green credit policy has been developed by the State Environment Protection Authority together with the People's Bank of China. The nation's environmental watchdog has listed 30 polluters, and the list forwarded to leading financial institutions. Blacklisted companies will, in theory, find it harder to get loans.

In the past, environmental policies introduced by the government have been under-funded and under-resourced. Greenpeace spokesperson Kevin May notes that “the worry is about implementation.” Huang Shengchu, head of the China Coal Information Institute, said it was difficult for local officials to cut energy use without greater investment and many would fail environmental targets.
It is speculative as to exactly why Beijing is implementing these new environmental protection policies, but they do represent a positive step as far as awareness and policy are concerned. It remains to be seen whether these will be accompanied with practical outcomes, and whether they will be integrated with other development goals.*******Club of Pioneers contacted Sze Ping Lo, the Campaign Director of Greenpeace China, to find out more about what Greenpeace thinks about China's new green performance laws and the new green credit policy.What does Greenpeace think about these two new initiatives?
Greenpeace thinks that the government is going in the right direction by these two new initiatives. The green performance policy holds local officials accountable for energy conservation and environmental protection. And the green credit policy that stops the money flow to blacklisted companies. But implementation is the key to their success.What would Greenpeace like to see happen in China in terms of environmental protection?
Greenpeace thinks what the central government is doing is impressive, but is far from enough. We expect to see a mentality change for a broader population in China, not limited to SEPA or high level officials from the central government. We would like to hear about concrete environmental protection initiatives echoed from the local levels, we would like to see
public concern of environmental degradation being heard and taken into account; we would also like to contribute to the awakening of the environmental awareness.
Links to the story:The Age
Peoples Daily
Fotos: Anna Benjamin