Greening Chinese chemical industrial park by implementing industrial ecology strategies: A case study

China has witnessed a rapid development of the chemical industry and has become the largest chemicals producing country in the last decade, where more than 45% of the companies above designated-size have been clustered into a large number of chemical industrial parks. Greening the development of chemical industrial parks in China is crucial to local environment and has long been a big challenge. Deploying industrial ecology strategies in chemical industrial park will enhance both economic and environmental performances. This study reviewed the eco-industrial development in the Shanghai Chemical Industrial Park (SCIP) and its performance. SCIP is a newly established industrial park producing petrochemicals and downstream fine chemicals and is considered as a hallmark of the chemical industrial parks in China, in regards to eco-industrial development from the scratch and its good economic and environmental performances. The key lessons drawn from SCIP are as follows: (1) Its design and construction complies with a top-down and environmentally friendly pattern in line with industrial ecology strategy by integrating upstream and downstream chemicals, utilities and infrastructure, logistics, safety and environmental management, and public services within the park holistically, (2) SCIP created a vertically integrated chemicals manufacturing network, from naphtha to polymers, to extend the value chain as much as possible, via the geographical proximity of upstream-downstream linkage and economy of scale, (3) A delicately designed infrastructure and utility symbiotic network, logistic system, and 24-7 online safety and environmental management system sustained the food web efficiently. The implementation of top-down eco-industrial development planning and rich experience cumulated thereof in SCIP will be a benchmark and enlightenment of key factors for facilitating green development of other chemical industrial parks in China.