Public role vital in building green society

Chinese people have become increasingly aware of the environment's importance and stepped up their environmental protection efforts in recent years, as were displayed by protests against environment-concerned projects and conservation of endangered wildlife, among other things.

A report, China Going Green: A Civil Society Review of 20 Years of Sustainable Development, published in June 2012, says the lack of governmental organizations has prompted an increase in grassroots movements to protect the environment.

The trend of rising public environmental awareness may be encouraging but public engagement in environmental protection in China is still in its nascent stage and beset with problems.