Environmental Protection
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-06-05 10:27
The State Council Information Office published
on Monday, June 5, 2006, a white paper entitled Environmental Protection in
China (1996-2005). The document, composed of 10 chapters, gives a systematic
introduction to the unremitting efforts made by China in environmental
protection over the past ten years. The full text of the white paper
follows:
Environmental Protection in China
(1996-2005)
Foreword
I. Environmental Protection Legislation and System
II.
Prevention and Control of Industrial Pollution
III. Pollution Control in Key
Regions
IV. Protection of the Urban Environment
V. Protection of the
Rural Environment
VI. Ecological Protection and Construction
VII.
Economic Policy and Investment Concerning the Environment
VIII. Environmental
Impact Assessment
IX. Environmental Science and Technology, Industry and
Public Participation
X. International Cooperation in Environmental
Protection
Conclusion
Foreword
China is the most populous developing
country in the world. Since the late 1970s, China's economy has developed
rapidly and continuously. During the process, many environmental problems that
have haunted developed countries in different phases of their 100-year-long
industrialization have occurred in China all at the same time. The conflict
between environment and development is becoming ever more prominent. Relative
shortage of resources, a fragile ecological environment and insufficient
environmental capacity are becoming critical problems hindering China's
development.
The Chinese government attaches great importance to
environmental protection. It believes that environmental protection will have a
direct impact on the overall situation of China's modernization drive and its
long-term development, and considers environmental protection an undertaking
that will not only benefit the Chinese people of today but also their children
and grandchildren. Years ago, the Chinese government established environmental
protection as a basic national policy and sustainable development as an
important strategy, and has adhered to the road of a new type of
industrialization. While promoting economic growth, it has adopted a whole array
of measures to strengthen environmental protection. Especially in recent years,
the Chinese government, with the scientific outlook on development as the
guiding principle of environmental protection, has adhered to focusing on
preventive measures, comprehensive control and overall progress with
breakthroughs at some key points, and worked hard to solve conspicuous
environmental problems threatening people's health. At the same time, it has
continued its efforts for institutional innovation, relied on scientific and
technological advances, strengthened the legal system of environmental
protection, and brought into full play the initiative of people of all walks of
life. Thanks to these efforts, although the amount of resource consumption and
pollutants is increasing greatly, the trend toward aggravated environmental
pollution and ecological destruction is slowing down; especially, environmental
pollution control in some river valleys has seen some positive results, the
environmental quality of some cities and regions has improved, the amount of
pollutant emission of industrial products has declined, and the people's
awareness of the importance of environmental protection has enhanced.
As
World Environment Day nears, in order to let people in other countries have a
better understanding about the situation of environmental protection in China,
we would like to give a systematic introduction to the unremitting efforts made
by China in environmental protection over the past ten years.
I.
Environmental Protection Legislation and System
The Constitution of the People's Republic of China (PRC) stipulates, "The
State protects and improves the environment in which people live and the
ecological environment. It prevents and controls pollution and other public
hazards." Since the PRC was founded in 1949, the National People's Congress
(NPC) and its Standing Committee have formulated nine laws on environmental
protection and 15 laws on the protection of natural resources. Since 1996, the
State has formulated or revised laws on environmental protection, such as those
on prevention and control of water pollution, marine environment protection,
prevention and control of air pollution, prevention and control of noise
pollution, prevention and control of solid waste pollution, evaluation of
environmental impact, and prevention and control of radioactive pollution, as
well as laws closely related to environmental protection, such as those on
water, clean production, renewable energy, agriculture, grassland and animal
husbandry. The State Council has formulated or revised over 50 administrative
regulations, such as the Regulations on Environmental Protection Management of
Construction Projects, Rules for the Implementation of the Law on the Prevention
and Control of Water Pollution, Regulations on the Safety Management of
Dangerous Chemicals, Regulations on the Management of Collection and Use of
Waste Discharge Fees, Measures on the Management of Dangerous Waste Operation
Licenses, Regulations on the Protection of Wild Plants, and Regulations on the
Safety Management of Agricultural Genetically-modified Organisms. It has
promulgated documents with similar power to laws and regulations, such as the
Decision on Implementing the Idea of Taking the Scientific Outlook on
Development and Strengthening Environmental Protection, Opinions for Quickening
the Development of a Cyclical Economy, and Circular on the Recent Work of
Effectively Building a Resource-efficient Society. Relevant departments of the
State Council, local people's congresses and local people's governments have,
within the limit of their powers, formulated and promulgated over 660 central
and local rules and regulations in order to implement the national laws and
administrative regulations on environmental protection.
China has
established a system of environmental protection standards at both the national
and local levels. National-level environmental protection standards include
environmental quality standards, pollutant discharge (control) standards, and
standards for environmental samples. Local environmental protection standards
include environmental quality and pollutant discharge standards. By the end of
2005, the State had promulgated over 800 national environmental protection
standards. The municipalities of Beijing and Shanghai, and the provinces of
Shandong and Henan had promulgated over 30 local environmental protection
standards.
China has constantly strengthened checks on the enforcement of
environmental legislation, and improved administrative law enforcement. In
recent years, the State has conducted checks on the enforcement of laws on
environmental protection, and the prevention and control of air pollution, water
pollution and solid waste pollution, so as to push forward pollution control in
key areas. China's criminal law has special provisions on destruction of
environmental resources. The State has promulgated the Interim Regulations on
the Punishment of Violations of Environmental Protection Laws or Disciplines,
and put in place a responsibility system of administrative law enforcement in
the area of environmental protection. For three years in a row, the State has
launched special environmental protection campaigns to rectify enterprises that
have discharged pollutants in violation of the law and to protect people's
health. It has dealt with over 75,000 environmental law violation cases, and had
16,000 enterprises closed down for having discharged pollutants in violation of
the law. More than 10,000 warnings have been issued to environment polluters,
obliging them to remedy the problems under government supervision. The State has
also conducted special checks on the enforcement of laws regarding mining areas
eco-environmental protection and maritime environmental protection, and has
dealt with a number of law violations.
China has implemented an
environmental management system, whereby governments at all levels are
responsible for the environmental quality of the areas within their
jurisdiction, the competent administrative departments in charge of
environmental protection have the power of overall supervision and management,
while other relevant departments exercise such supervision and management
functions according to the provisions of the law. In 1998 the Chinese government
changed the name of the State Environmental Protection Bureau to the State
Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), and elevated it to the
ministerial level. Thus, SEPA became an organization directly under the State
Council to be responsible for exercising overall supervision and management of
China's environmental protection work. The State has set up a national
inter-ministry joint conference system for environmental protection and
established representative offices for regional environmental supervision, in an
effort to strengthen coordination and cooperation between departments and
regions. The governments of all the provinces (autonomous regions and
municipalities directly under the Central Government), cities and counties have
set up organs responsible for addressing and coordinating environmental
protection issues. There are now 3,226 environmental protection administration
departments at different levels all over China, with 167,000 people engaging in
environmental administration, monitoring, scientific research, publicity and
education. There are 3,854 environmental supervision and environmental law
enforcement organs with more than 50,000 staff members. Environmental protection
organs are also found in some government departments for comprehensive affairs
or resource administration departments, as well as in most large and
medium-sized enterprises, responsible for their own environmental protection
work. More than 300,000 people are employed by these organs.
