"I began to understand the power of the market in its disciplining role over company performance, and how this could be applied to environmental protection," he says.
"I realized that the whole process could hardly be meaningful or effective, without the widespread participation of the people."
In 2006 Ma set up an NGO, the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE), launched the China Water Pollution Map and China Air Pollution Map, and set up searchable databases. These databases give the public access to data on environmental quality and to records of infractions by companies, released by various government agencies, including the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
The Chinese government's Measures for the Disclosure of Environmental Information, released in May 2008, bolstered Ma's confidence. The two databases have grown to include 49,000 records at the end of this August, involving about 30,000 domestic and foreign companies, which have been warned or penalized for violations of environmental rules.
While earlier many companies would rather pay the small penalties year after year, "the availability of information such as the Water Pollution Map and Air Pollution Map is changing the pattern as it touches upon different stakeholders because of its accessibility", says Ma.
The Shanghai case (see sidebar) also illustrates what Ma defines as a Green Choice Alliance. "It aims to curb environmental pollution in China's manufacturing hubs by integrating transparency and stakeholder participation in the existing supply chain management system."
By tapping into IPE's database, corporate users can do checks of their list of suppliers, says Ma.
Some multinational companies, including General Electric (GE) and Wal-Mart, are already using the databases to monitor sourcing practices in China.
So far, more than 130 blacklisted companies have approached Ma's institute, explaining what went wrong and how they planned to fix the problems. Many hope to be removed from the black list by the introduction of third-party audits of their improved performance.
Ma and his colleagues are also reaching out to governments. Earlier this year, they developed a Pollution Information Transparency Index, evaluating the performance of 113 environmental protection bureaus across China. Topping the list was Ningbo, a medium-sized city in eastern China. Beijing ranked 16th.
Ma believes China's NGOs should build credibility, by rooting their appeals in hard evidence. "I'm here for the long haul," he says.
By Gong Yidong
Editor: Wen Yi
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