Economic growth and environmental sustainability, a challenge shared by Colombia and China

Abstract

Air pollution and water are phenomena that have accompanied China and Colombia’s economic growth. Both types of pollution are caused by similar sources, although the extent to which each manifest in terms of human and monetary costs differs due to the particular characteristics of each country. This has resulted in a series of measures that have not the expected effects since the Environmental Performance Indicator (EPI), measured by Yale University, has deteriorated for both countries. This calls for an urgent attention for reviewing the environmental policies.