Global to local: International conferences and environmental education in the People's Republic of China.

This thesis explores the relationship between international recommendations for environmental education developed at United Nations Conferences and non-formal environmental education initiatives undertaken by Chinese civil organizations. Data were collected and analysed through an interpretivist window and involved: (1) a historical and content analysis of recommendations from United Nations-sponsored conferences related to environmental education; (2) interviews with academics, Chinese officials, and Chinese civil organisations representatives; and (3) document analysis of academic literature as well as governmental and non-governmental publications related to environmental recommendations. Findings were compared, contrasted and interpreted in order to assess patterns of influence and consistency. Briefly, results showed that international recommendations for environmental education did not directly influence non-formal environmental education efforts in China; nevertheless, some non-formal environmental education efforts in China were consistent with the international recommendations, suggesting the existence of indirect communication pathways between international conferences and local agents.