Wang, HuaJun BiWheeler, DavidJinnan WangDong CaoGenfa LuYuan Wang2014-08-112014-08-112002-09https://hdl.handle.net/10986/19284This paper describes a new incentive-based pollution control program in China in which the environmental performance of firms is rated and reported to the public. Firms are rated from best to worst using five colors-green, blue, yellow, red, and black-and the ratings are disseminated to the public through the media. The impact has been substantial, suggesting that public disclosure provides a significant incentive for firms to improve their environmental performance. The paper focuses on the experience of the first two disclosure programs, in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province and Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. Successful implementation of these programs at two very different levels of economic and institutional development suggests that public disclosure should be feasible in most of China. The Zhenjiang and Hohhot experiences have also shown that performance disclosure can significantly reduce pollution, even in settings where environmental nongovernmental organizations are not very active and there is no formal channel for public participation in environmental regulation.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE INDICATORSENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONPOLLUTION CONTROL REGULATIONSPUBLIC AWARENESSDISCLOSURE OF INFORMATIONINSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKNONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONSENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS ACCIDENTSADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIESAIRAIR POLLUTIONAIR POLLUTION PROBLEMARSENICCAPITAL MARKETSCENTRAL GOVERNMENTCERTIFICATIONCITIZENSCODCOMMUNITY RIGHT TO KNOWCONSERVATISMCONSTITUENCIESCONSTITUTIONCONSTRUCTIONCORRUPTIONDEMOCRACYECONOMIC INSTRUMENTSEMISSION STANDARDSEMISSIONSEMISSIONS REDUCTIONEMPIRICAL ANALYSISEMPLOYMENTENVIRONMENTAL ACCOUNTINGENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICSENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDSENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATIONENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENTENVIRONMENTAL MONITORINGENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCEENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCESEXTERNALITIESFINANCIAL SUPPORTFISCALGOVERNMENT AGENCIESGOVERNMENT INFORMATIONINCOMEINCOME DISTRIBUTIONINDUSTRIAL POLLUTIONINFLATIONINFORMATION DISCLOSUREINSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTSINSTITUTIONAL CAPACITYINSURANCEINTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONSLAWSLEGAL STATUTESLEGAL SUPPORTLOBBYINGLOCAL AUTHORITIESLOCAL GOVERNMENTLOCAL GOVERNMENTSMARINE ENVIRONMENTMEDIAMERCURYMONITORING EQUIPMENTMUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTMUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTSMUNICIPALITYNATIONSNONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONSOILPOLICY INSTRUMENTSPOLICY RESEARCHPOLITICIANSPOLLUTERSPOLLUTIONPOLLUTION ABATEMENTPOLLUTION CONTROLPOLLUTION DISCHARGEPRODUCTION PROCESSPUBLIC INFORMATIONPUBLIC OPINIONPUBLIC PARTICIPATIONPUBLIC POLICYRADIATIONRECYCLINGREGIONAL INTEGRATIONREGULATORY AGENCYREGULATORY INSTRUMENTSREPRESENTATIVESRESOURCE USESANCTIONSSOCIAL COSTSOCIAL ORGANIZATIONSSOCIAL STABILITYSOCIAL SUPPORTSOLID WASTESSTATE AUTHORITIESSTATE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONSTDSSULFUR DIOXIDESUSPENDED SOLIDSWASTEWASTE DISPOSALWASTE MANAGEMENTWATER POLLUTION10.1596/1813-9450-2889