International actors in NIMBY controversies: Obstacle or opportunity for environmental campaigns?

Abstract

The present case study examines whether international actors constitute an obstacle or opportunity for environmental campaigns against the siting of controversial facilities. Drawing upon field research carried out in Beijing, China, from 4 March until 10 April 2013, this article investigates the siting of the Nangong waste incinerator between the project’s announcement (2010) and conclusion of planning (2013). Specifically, this article studies the relations between a group of local environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) and the German state-owned development bank Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau while grounding its inquiry in propositions based on a reading of fragmented authoritarianism. In the course of the analysis, it is suggested that the small potential for de-escalating tensions in the ENGO–international actor alliance is dwarfed by ENGOs’ excessive expectations projected upon international actors, competition over narratives as well as a limited scope for political manoeuvring as a result of diplomatic, contractual and commercial obligations. Consequently, the involvement of international actors in NIMBY (not in my backyard) controversies does not present an opportunity for environmental campaigns.