Environmental Legislation in the Past 70
Years
Zhongmei Lv
The year 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of
China. Over the past 70 years, China has promulgated a full range of environmental
laws, developed an environmental legislative system with Chinese characteristics,
actively participated in global environmental governance, and led the world onto the
path towards environmental rule of law. A review of the 70-year history of building
the environmental rule of law and an analysis of the context in which the environmental rule of law has evolved over the years can help us build confidence in the
environmental rule of law in the new era and is of profound significance to China’s
efforts to accelerate the development of the environmental rule of law in the new era,
improve the environmental legislative system, and achieve the goals of the Beautiful
China campaign.
1 Moving into the Forefront of the World in Environmental
Legislation
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, as socialist economic
development progressed, many environmental problems gradually emerged in China
and China started to use legal means to protect the environment. Globally, starting
from since the 1940s, incidents of pollution-related health hazards were frequently
seen, arousing great concern worldwide and calling for environmental legislation in
Z. Lv (B)
Committee on Social and Legal Affairs, The National Committee of CPPCC, Beijing, China
China Law Society, Beijing, China
© China Environment Publishing Group Co., Ltd. 2021
J. Pan et al. (eds.), Beautiful China: 70 Years Since 1949 and 70 People’s Views
on Eco-civilization Construction, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6742-5_2
21
Years
Zhongmei Lv
The year 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of
China. Over the past 70 years, China has promulgated a full range of environmental
laws, developed an environmental legislative system with Chinese characteristics,
actively participated in global environmental governance, and led the world onto the
path towards environmental rule of law. A review of the 70-year history of building
the environmental rule of law and an analysis of the context in which the environmental rule of law has evolved over the years can help us build confidence in the
environmental rule of law in the new era and is of profound significance to China’s
efforts to accelerate the development of the environmental rule of law in the new era,
improve the environmental legislative system, and achieve the goals of the Beautiful
China campaign.
1 Moving into the Forefront of the World in Environmental
Legislation
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, as socialist economic
development progressed, many environmental problems gradually emerged in China
and China started to use legal means to protect the environment. Globally, starting
from since the 1940s, incidents of pollution-related health hazards were frequently
seen, arousing great concern worldwide and calling for environmental legislation in
Z. Lv (B)
Committee on Social and Legal Affairs, The National Committee of CPPCC, Beijing, China
China Law Society, Beijing, China
© China Environment Publishing Group Co., Ltd. 2021
J. Pan et al. (eds.), Beautiful China: 70 Years Since 1949 and 70 People’s Views
on Eco-civilization Construction, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6742-5_2
21