Something’s in the air as environment becomes new battleground for China’s cadres
After years of ignoring the costs of breakneck growth, officials are under pressure to take action – and their jobs and funding depend on it
Every month across China, local officials wait for the scorecard. They want to know how their cities, towns and districts rank – how well the economy is doing, but also how breathable the air is.
The places at the top of the rankings for monthly air quality are rewarded to the tune of millions of yuan. Those with the worst air have their government funding slashed, and the local cadres are summoned to explain themselves.
“[The officials] deeply regretted the low rankings,” a state-run newspaper in the eastern city of Jinan, Shandong, declared in a report on one of those interrogations. “They pledged to learn from the pain ... and take extraordinary measures.”
The ruling Communist Party’s efforts to clean up the country’s notoriously polluted air, rivers, lakes and soil have been stymied by its cadres, whose career prospects have for decades depended on their ability to drive economic growth.
But with environmental protection now a priority for the coming five years, Beijing is trying to change the mindset of putting growth first by judging its officials by a new measure – green targets.
Experts warn that some officials are avoiding the tough environmental work that is needed because it is too difficult to achieve or measure, while others resort to manipulating the data to please the leadership.