Groups of volunteers growing across country

China has seen volunteer organizations for environmental protection grow like never before, according to government officials.

There are more than 1.3 million such programs across the country, representing 20 percent of all voluntary programs, according to Tian Chengchuan, director of the Center for Environmental Education and Communications, an affiliate of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

There are 3.2 million volunteers registered with these programs, he wrote in a recent article published in China Environment News.

Still, Tian described the development of volunteer service in the environmental protection sector as remaining in its "initial stage" due to the generally low participation of Chinese people in volunteer programs.

In 2020, the country saw only about 6 percent of the population involved in volunteer programs of different types, he added.

Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu, however, stressed the increasing public participation in voluntary environmental programs during his address to a forum on such services on World Environment Day on June 5.

"From voluntary tree planting in the 1980s to river and forest patrols, biodiversity conservation and environmental public interest litigation in recent years, voluntary environmental services have been extended to more and more sectors," he said.

"Volunteer teams for promoting ecological civilization have sprouted like mushrooms after the rain," he said.

Ecological civilization is a concept promoted by President Xi Jinping for balanced and sustainable development that features a harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

Huang also stressed that more ordinary citizens have become committed environmentalists who have managed to motivate great enthusiasm for environmental protection among people.

He also noted efforts from central government bodies to boost the development of voluntary environmental services.

In February 2021, his ministry, together with another six government bodies, including the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, jointly published an action plan on strengthening the public's awareness of ecological civilization.

One of the 10 special campaigns included in the document is to promote the development of the services.

In June of last year, his ministry and the Central Commission for Guiding Ethical and Cultural Progress jointly issued a guideline vowing a series of measures to encourage the development of voluntary environmental service organizations, he added.

In order to help address such organizations' operational costs, for example, the country will help them to obtain contracts for public service projects as well as government subsidies and donations, according to the guideline.