Timeline

・ June 1972: China sends the largest delegation since the restoration of its lawful seat at the UN to take part in the UN Conference on the Human Environment, the first global gathering to make the environment a major issue.

・ August 1973: China holds its first national conference on environmental protection.

・ May 1982: The Ministry of Urban and Rural Development and Environmental Protection is established, with the State Environmental Protection Agency one of its departments.

・ July 1988: The State Environmental Protection Agency is established as an independent vice-ministerial-level subordinate body to the State Council, China's Cabinet.

・ June 1998: The State Environmental Protection Agency is upgraded to the State Environmental Protection Administration, a government body at ministerial level.

・ July 2008: The State Environmental Protection Administration is further upgraded to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, a State Council department.

・ March 2018: In a State Council reshuffle, the Ministry of Environmental Protection becomes the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. In addition to the duties of the defunct ministry, the new ministry handles responsibilities related to the environment for another six government bodies.

・ May 2018: China holds the eighth National Conference on Environmental Protection, marking the official establishment of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization.