By Wang Haiqin, Gao Shiji & Huang Junyong, Research Institute of Resources and Environment Policies, DRC

Research Report, No.1, 2021 (Total 6066) 2021-1-6

Abstract: The quality of environmental data concerns the quality of ecological civilization policy-making. Since the convening of the 18th National Congress of CPC Central Committee, the Central Government has taken robust measures to tackle cheats and frauds in environmental data and other major problems. In light of the results of the recent survey, the quality of China’s environmental data has witnessed a stable improvement at current stage with continuous enhancement in the accuracy and authenticity of data, and rising trust from the public in these data. However, people still hold concerns about frauds in environmental data; the contradictions among the data from different departments still exist; and the accuracy and authenticity of environmental data released by enterprises are yet to be enhanced, which implies that there is still much room for improving China’s environmental data quality. With the aim to comprehensively improve the quality of China’s environmental data, this paper proposes the following policy options. First, attention needs to be paid to giving full play to the active role of environmental protection organizations in collecting, spreading environmental data and communicating and exchanging with the public. Second, a guiding committee on the overall planning and coordination of environmental civilization authorized by the State Council needs to be established so as to taking the major issues of ecological civilization into consideration in a comprehensive and coordinated manner, Third, efforts to improve the environmental data quality concerning pollution emission units and private inspection institutions needs to be accelerated through measures including but not limited to specialized training on enterprises, implementing environmental supervision based on the rule of law and improving the environment credit system.

Keywords: environmental data quality, environmental supervision, ecological civilization