Ministry will give more weight to green issues

The creation of a fully fledged environment ministry will give its representatives the power to influence cabinet-level decisions on green issues, a senior environment official said yesterday.

Wang Yuqing, former deputy head of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), said: "The elevation will enable the agency to join every important meeting of the State Council, and ensure environmental protection efforts are better integrated into the decision-making process."

The new Ministry of Environmental Protection will also have more staff and greater financial support, the CPPCC member said on the sidelines of the ongoing legislative sessions.