Environmental Legislation in the Past 70 Years
27
delivered a speech, calling on countries to jointly build a community with a shared
future for mankind, deliver environmental justice, promote technological innovation,
and embark on a path towards inclusive and sustainable development. China formally
submitted its first nationally determined contribution plan to the United Nations as
scheduled during the global climate change negotiations, and proactively pushed
forward the negotiation process for the Paris Agreement. At the UN Climate Change
Conference, China actively promoted negotiations concerning the implementation
details of the Paris Agreement. It also joined the “Towards a Global Pact for the
Environment” working group, attended relevant meetings, participated in various
projects, and made clear its views on relevant issues. China attended many environmental conferences held by the UN, participated in themed discussions and deliberation, and made a continuous effort to promote concepts and practices concerning
the development of ecological civilization, strengthen communication with all stakeholders, and assume a more constructive leading role in the development of a global
ecological civilization and a community with a shared future for mankind.
2 Promoting the Environmental Rule of Law with Chinese
Characteristics
Over the past 70 years, the Chinese government has made continuous efforts to
promote environmental rule of law with Chinese characteristics. In May 2016,
the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) released Green is Gold: The
Strategy and Actions of China’s Ecological Civilization, pointing out that lucid waters
and lush mountains are invaluable assets and that China’s ecological civilization
strategy offers a sustainable development solution to the international community.
1. Environmental legislation with Chinese characteristics
In 1973, the Office of the Preparatory Team for the First Environmental Protection Conference of China led the formulation of Industrial Waste Control Standards (Trial), and promulgated Regulations on the Protection and Improvement of
the Environment (Trial). In September 1979, the national legislature adopted the
Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China (Trial) at the 11th
meeting of the Fifth National People’s Congress. In the initial stage, the focus of
China’s environmental legislation was on the control of industrial waste. At that
time, addressing conflicts between different classes was the key task of the Chinese
government, but the principles established by the Regulations on the Protection and
Improvement of the Environment (Trial) and Environmental Protection Law (Trial)
were reasonable given the country’s national conditions at the time. Environmental
legislation at the time reflected the Chinese government’s commitment to strengthening pollution prevention. Whether by enacting new laws or revising old laws, the
Chinese government has always proposed solutions to problems at the time with
China’s national conditions in mind. It has achieved three major transitions in environmental legislation in the past 70 years. First, the focus of environmental legislation
27
delivered a speech, calling on countries to jointly build a community with a shared
future for mankind, deliver environmental justice, promote technological innovation,
and embark on a path towards inclusive and sustainable development. China formally
submitted its first nationally determined contribution plan to the United Nations as
scheduled during the global climate change negotiations, and proactively pushed
forward the negotiation process for the Paris Agreement. At the UN Climate Change
Conference, China actively promoted negotiations concerning the implementation
details of the Paris Agreement. It also joined the “Towards a Global Pact for the
Environment” working group, attended relevant meetings, participated in various
projects, and made clear its views on relevant issues. China attended many environmental conferences held by the UN, participated in themed discussions and deliberation, and made a continuous effort to promote concepts and practices concerning
the development of ecological civilization, strengthen communication with all stakeholders, and assume a more constructive leading role in the development of a global
ecological civilization and a community with a shared future for mankind.
2 Promoting the Environmental Rule of Law with Chinese
Characteristics
Over the past 70 years, the Chinese government has made continuous efforts to
promote environmental rule of law with Chinese characteristics. In May 2016,
the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) released Green is Gold: The
Strategy and Actions of China’s Ecological Civilization, pointing out that lucid waters
and lush mountains are invaluable assets and that China’s ecological civilization
strategy offers a sustainable development solution to the international community.
1. Environmental legislation with Chinese characteristics
In 1973, the Office of the Preparatory Team for the First Environmental Protection Conference of China led the formulation of Industrial Waste Control Standards (Trial), and promulgated Regulations on the Protection and Improvement of
the Environment (Trial). In September 1979, the national legislature adopted the
Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China (Trial) at the 11th
meeting of the Fifth National People’s Congress. In the initial stage, the focus of
China’s environmental legislation was on the control of industrial waste. At that
time, addressing conflicts between different classes was the key task of the Chinese
government, but the principles established by the Regulations on the Protection and
Improvement of the Environment (Trial) and Environmental Protection Law (Trial)
were reasonable given the country’s national conditions at the time. Environmental
legislation at the time reflected the Chinese government’s commitment to strengthening pollution prevention. Whether by enacting new laws or revising old laws, the
Chinese government has always proposed solutions to problems at the time with
China’s national conditions in mind. It has achieved three major transitions in environmental legislation in the past 70 years. First, the focus of environmental legislation