ORIGINAL RESEARCH
The Changing Roles of the Local Government
in Environmental Governance in Guangzhou,
China
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1
School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
2
School of Geography and Tourism, Jiaying University, Meizhou, 514015, China
3
Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai 519082, China
Submission date: 2023-07-04
Final revision date: 2023-09-07
Acceptance date: 2023-09-21
Online publication date: 2023-11-21
Publication date: 2024-01-22
Corresponding author
Gengzhi Huang
School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-Sen University, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2024;33(2):1401-1412
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ABSTRACT
This article examines the changing role of the local government’s environmental management
in Guangzhou, China, through a historical content analysis of archival data. Environmental governance
in Guangzhou has followed a government-led, top-down model. The content analysis showed that
over the past four decades, the role of Guangzhou’s municipal environmental governance has been
characterized by transformation – from passive responses to accelerating and securing economic
growth, and finally to active interventions that balance economic growth and ecological protection.
The changing role of the Guangzhou government in environmental governance is driven by varied urban
political priorities at different historical stages. This article argues that the urban political economy
and the national government’s commitment to pragmatic, sustainable development shaped the local
government’s response to environmental problems.