http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2008/02/china-imposing-green-policy-on-companies/ Where the world comes together Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:46:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2008/02/china-imposing-green-policy-on-companies/#comment-1556 Diana Thébaud Nicholson Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:58:19 +0000 http://www.dianaswednesday.com/2008/02/china-imposing-green-policy-on-companies/#comment-1556 The real problem is that the private sector does not respond to Beijing. It answers to local government which tends to be quite lackadasical in the enforcement end. One notable example I can give you is a privatized cement plant. As you approach the valley where it is situated you often drive through a thick haze of smoke coming from their coal-fired operations. As I prepared presentations for potential financiers I brought up the issue of pollution. Apparently, the laws are very good. The company bought all of the appropriate equipment. It will only be installed when the government threatens to shut them down as there is a cost to operations. The real problem is that the private sector does not respond to Beijing. It answers to local government which tends to be quite lackadasical in the enforcement end. One notable example I can give you is a privatized cement plant. As you approach the valley where it is situated you often drive through a thick haze of smoke coming from their coal-fired operations. As I prepared presentations for potential financiers I brought up the issue of pollution. Apparently, the laws are very good. The company bought all of the appropriate equipment. It will only be installed when the government threatens to shut them down as there is a cost to operations.

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