CHINA / Official Publication
White Paper on 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.
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