Environmental Practices in a Colonial Context: The Mitigation of Soot Pollution in the Shanghai International Settlement, 1863-1943

Soot pollution in the Shanghai International Settlement became a serious problem in the late nineteenth century. Although residents protested, the Shanghai Municipal Council (SMC) was unable to resolve the conflict between economic development and environmental protection. Even when the SMC took a firm stand against pollution, polluters delayed or rejected the SMC’s instructions. The actions taken by the SMC not only demonstrate that efforts to mitigate air pollution in China predate the Mao era but also illustrate the inherent defects of environmental governance in a colonial context. The environmental policies of the SMC, although well-intended, ultimately had little effect, constrained as they were by social, political, economic, and technological factors.