Does Cadre Turnover Help or Hinder China’s Green Rise? Evidence from Shanxi Province

In the last decade Beijing has presided over an ambitious effort to lay the foundations of a green economy. The clear message sent by China’s top leadership is that environmental constraints and resource scarcity imperil future economic growth and social harmony in China. Greening growth initiatives—here defined as measures promoting the use of less resources for economic growth—aim to help China change lanes from a heavily polluting, growth-at-any-cost model to a resource-efficient and low-carbon model. Yet, Beijing’s various efforts to steer China in the direction of greener growth have often met with resistance during policy implementation, when sub-national leaders take center stage. This study argues that, among a range of factors that shape the local politics of greening growth, the frequent turnover of local leaders contributes to the green implementation gap.