Environmental Activism in Authoritarian Regimes: Comparing China and Russia

press release: Despite similar authoritarian contexts, environmentalists in China and Russia face different political realities. In China’s more tightly controlled political system, environmental groups can access policymakers through informal channels, leverage the legal system, and contribute to governance. In contrast, Russian environmental groups are mostly excluded from governance, have fewer legal opportunities, and, as a result, often utilize mass mobilization and international ties. What accounts for these differences?

Elizabeth Plantan is a China Public Policy Postdoctoral Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School. Her research focuses on environmental affairs, civil society and philanthropy, and authoritarian governance, with a specialization in the politics and policymaking of China and Russia. She holds a Ph.D. in Government from Cornell University.