The Environmental Impact of China’s Rapid Urbanization: A Case Study of Beijing

The impact on the global environment in recent years has caused much political discourse. Over the years there have been many global conferences from Stockholm (1972) to Copenhagen (2009) that have raised environmental concems with regard to tackling these problems in a cohesive way. However these conferences have created political tension. China has had its fair say on the environment and has been an influential player in making crucial decisions on the World's approach to the environment. It is argued in this paper that China's massive economic and social upheaval has impacted on the environment. The purpose of this paper is to explore the environmental challenges facing China within an urban context, utilising Beijing as a specific case study.