Towards more effective air pollution governance strategies in China: A systematic review of the literature

Abstract China’s collaborative governance mode for air pollution is both a research focus and a strategy being promoted by the Central Government. Many national laws, regulations, and policies have been implemented to promote the collaborative governance strategy. Many practices have been implemented and studies carried out. However, there has been no synthesis discussion of the current state of collaborative governance strategy in China. This study systematically analyzes the evolution of current practices and previous studies, examines the progress that has been made and the challenges facing the collaborative governance of pollution. Furthermore, this study discusses the evolution and characteristics of the governance modes and mechanisms, and develops theoretical and research frameworks. Based on this review, five policy recommendations, and six research limitations are proposed. This review could support the formulation of advanced strategies for air pollution governance and future research.