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This study aims to propose a set of institutional frameworks, as well as practical polices and steps, with a view to facilitating the establishment of a unified carbon trading market in China.

Based on existing empirical studies and reviews of the socioeconomic contexts, this study followed a qualitative approach consisting of secondary data collection and analysis, semi-structured interviews to collect primary data and comparative analysis.

The establishment of a national carbon trading market in China is a systemic and complex process which requires coordination among various concerned government agencies and supporting mechanisms. Currently, the development of a unified national carbon market has been impeded by the lack of coordination among local pilot programs, and there is no specific law passed by the People’s Congress or by its Standing Committee to regulate the emerging carbon trading market. It is of vital importance for China, in terms of both practical and strategic aspects, to take a gradualist approach in establishing laws and institutions to guide and support the development of its emerging carbon market.

This present study forms a part of a regional research project aiming to identify sound policy approaches for the establishment of a carbon trading market in China. Due to scope reasons, it focuses only on policy analysis and recommendations.

China’s emerging national carbon trading market has attracted much research attention. However, little has been done from the perspectives of legislations and policies.

To describe how airline operational efficiency may be improved by adopting a socio‐technical systems approach which emphasises and integrates the role of human factors within a wider context.

After describing what is meant by a socio‐technical system, the paper uses four short case studies to illustrate the benefits and dis‐benefits of using (or failing to use) a socio‐technical systems approach.

Readers are encouraged to acknowledge the role of the human being in a wider system context. It is also suggested that improving individual aspects of airline operations in isolation may not actually improve overall efficiency.

The case studies discussed are meant to be illustrative of the socio‐technical systems approach rather than an authoritative review of the area.

The practical implications of adopting a socio‐technical systems view of improvements aimed at improving efficiency are emphasised in that with early consideration of system changes bottlenecks may be identified which will reduce the efficacy of these changes.

Possibly the first attempt at providing a wider socio‐technical systems framework for the assessment of operational efficiency explicitly incorporating the role of the human in the system.