Abstract
This chapter aims to discuss the current situation and the implementation of VSS in China where it is still not widely recognised. China is one of the fastest developing countries in the world and plays a very important role in the worlds’ economy. However, along with its rapid development, a series of consequences, both economic and environmental, have drawn massive attention from the public and media. Chinese industries have an urgent need of tools to enhance their reputation internationally. Since the mid-1990s when voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) were first introduced in mainland China, many companies especially SMEs (small and medium enterprises) were reluctant to engage with VSS. It is therefore important to study the reasons for these setbacks and possible solutions while taking into account the political background, the specific conditions and the institutional realities in China.
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An, N., Schaller, E. (2014). Issues and Opportunities for Implementation of VSS in China. In: Schmitz-Hoffmann, C., Schmidt, M., Hansmann, B., Palekhov, D. (eds) Voluntary Standard Systems. Natural Resource Management in Transition, vol 1. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35716-9_16
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35716-9_16
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