Promoting environmental sustainability through interorganisational education: A network analysis of China’s blue sky action plan

Abstract

This study offers a micro analytical framework for examining air quality governance in China's rapidly growing megacities, shedding light on the multi-scalar, multi-sectoral learning that shape collaborative environmental policymaking at the local level. Drawing upon a blended methodology of social network analysis and semantic network analysis, the paper presents a granular, empirically-grounded account of the institutional arrangements, policy instruments, and discursive frames underlying Shenzhen's comprehensive approach to tackling air pollution challenges. The findings demonstrate the highly educated and coordinated nature of the city-level environmental governance strategy, which harnesses a diverse array of collaborative learning platforms, development-oriented education, and large-scale infrastructure projects across key sectors such as transportation, industry, and urban planning. This study contributes to elucidate the contextual factors, institutional configurations, and interorganizational learning that shape the evolution of collaborative environmental governance in diverse urban settings across the developing world.

Cited as:

Tian, Z., Rui, H. (2024) Promoting environmental sustainability through interorganisational education: A network analysis of China’s blue sky action plan. Education and Lifelong Development Research, 1(4): 156-165. https://doi.org/10.46690/elder.2024.04.02

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