社区环境圆桌会议:公众参与的创新模式

环境产品的供给不足和公众对环境质量的心理需求增高之间的矛盾是当今中国人与环境不和谐的主要表现之一.通过加大环境保护投入、有效执法和行政问责以提供更好的环境质量,实现环境公平是人与自然和谐的现实基础;通过有效的公众参与促进价值认同是人与环境和谐的价值基础.社区环境圆桌会议是环境保护的社会创新手段之一,是政府行为、市场手段之外的政策补充,更是促进公众参与、实现价值认同的有效载体.社区环境圆桌会议在江苏的实践已初步显示出促进环境保护和社会和谐的积极作用.社区环境圆桌会议能否取得实效,取决于政府作用、公众参与、媒体作用以及企业社会责任等一系列制度安排.

Community Environmental Roundtable Meeting:A New Model of Public Participation in Environmental Protection

Insufficient environmental product supply but rising public psychological demand on environmental quality caused disharmony between human beings and the nature in China. With more environmental investments, legal enforcement and strong administrative supervision, it is possible that better environmental quality and fairness may be achieved. Furthermore, a coordinated value system could be formed through effective public participation. Together with environmental fairness, it provides solid basis for the achievement of a harmonious society. Community environmental roundtable meeting is developed as an innovative and informal instrument for environmental protection. It is considered to be a supplemental policy tool for governmental regulation and market- based instruments, and it can act as an effective platform for public participation and establishment of common value system. Practice of roundtable meetings in Jiangsu Province, China, showed their positive effects in promoting environmental protection and social harmony. The success of this informal instrument will heavily depend on a series of institutional arrangements embedded in this system, such as government action, public participation, media involvement, as well as corporate social responsibility.