The Value of Social Media Tool for Monitoring and Evaluating Environment Policy Communication: A Case Study of the ‘Zero-Waste City’ Initiative in China

This paper analyzes the effectiveness of policy communication regarding the "zero-waste city" initiative in China, utilizing social media data from Weibo between June 2018 and November 2020. It employs social network analysis and text topic analysis to measure the impact of environmental policy communication. The findings indicate a significant increase in social media discussions about the policy, especially in the latter half of 2020, signifying growing public interest and engagement. The communication is most intense in regions with pilot programs like Shandong, Beijing, and Chongqing, and even non-pilot areas like Sichuan and Hunan show substantial engagement.

The study highlights that government accounts are primarily driving the discourse, focusing on policy dissemination and interpretation. In contrast, individual and non-government accounts contribute by sharing information on waste disposal technologies and engaging in public welfare activities. The analysis suggests that while the reach is broad, there's room to increase the depth and effectiveness of communication to enhance public understanding and involvement.

The paper recommends that government agencies should use social media to foster a comprehensive communication strategy that includes the public in various policy stages. It also suggests involving NGOs, enterprises, and other community groups more actively to spread the zero-waste message and integrate environmental considerations into daily life and business practices.