Dirty Industry Migration and the Environment - China as a Major Case for Study

Abstract

This thesis is a systematic legal study on a??Dirty Industry Migrationa?? (a??DIMa??). The hypothesis of DIM postulates that free trade and investment without an adequate consideration on environmental factors would drive pollution-intensive industries to migrate to countries with laxer environmental regulations or to the a??pollution havensa??. This thesis first empirically tests the DIM hypothesis in China and finds solid evidence for DIM in specific industries. Based on this finding, the thesis examines the international and Chinese domestic laws which formally regulate DIM. On the regulation of DIM this thesis also examines the status of corporate environmental citizenship in China based on the authora??s fieldwork and interview with over 100 stakeholders. The law and policy study of China provides useful guidance to other developing countries that seek to emulate or draw lessons from Chinaa??s management of DIM.