Green draft to be scrutinized by legislators

A draft environmental code, poised to become China's second formal statutory code once adopted, has been submitted to an ongoing session of the country's top legislature for a first reading.

The draft code includes 10 existing laws related to ecological and environmental protection, such as the Environmental Protection Law, the Law on Environmental Impact Assessment and the Law on Atmospheric Pollution Prevention and Control, Shen Chunyao, head of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said on Sunday.

Key principles from current laws on river basin management, natural resources and biodiversity protection have also been incorporated or reflected in the draft code, Shen said in a report to the session, which opened on Sunday and will run through Wednesday.

Although China has yet to enact dedicated laws on tackling climate change, peaking carbon dioxide emissions, achieving carbon neutrality and promoting low-carbon development, the draft code includes directive provisions on these issues, he said. These provisions aim to establish basic principles and lay a foundation for future legislation.

The draft stipulates that the national government should strengthen monitoring of greenhouse gases and the climate system, and establish a system for releasing related monitoring information.

Before the environmental code, China's national legislature adopted the Civil Code in 2020.

"The new code is not simply a legal compilation, nor is it entirely new legislation," Shen said.

Rather, it is a systematic integration, compilation, revision and enhancement of China's existing laws, institutions, rules and norms for ecological and environmental protection, Shen said. It also involves institutional innovation to meet new demands and improve the systemic, holistic, coordinated and timely nature of the country's legal framework for environmental protection.

The draft stresses the integrated protection of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts, considering eco-environmental elements such as the atmosphere, water and soil, Shen said.

It also aims to solve prominent problems in the environmental sector that hinder high-quality development and protection efforts, he added.

Shen said compiling the code is an essential requirement of China's people-centered development philosophy. As the principal contradiction facing Chinese society has evolved into the gap between unbalanced, inadequate development and people's growing needs for a better life, the public's demand for a sound ecological environment has become a significant part of this contradiction, he said.

Despite significant achievements in promoting ecological civilization, China still faces a challenging ecological and environmental situation, with a range of emerging issues, he said.

Compiling the code is a proactive step to adapt to new circumstances and enhance legal protections for addressing pressing environmental concerns voiced by the public, Shen said.

The draft code has a solid foundation, said Huang Haihua, spokesperson for the Legislative Affairs Commission, at a news briefing on Friday.

Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization has provided fundamental guidance for compiling the code, Huang said, while China's achievements in promoting ecological civilization have offered valuable experiences.

He said the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" has become deeply rooted in people's hearts, driving demands for stringent systems and robust legal frameworks to safeguard the ecological environment.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, China's legal system for ecological and environmental protection has advanced with the times, providing a systematic foundation for compiling the code, Huang said.

According to the committee, China has established a comprehensive legislative framework for ecological and environmental protection, encompassing more than 30 national laws, over 100 national administrative regulations, and more than 1,000 regional regulations.