Framework being built for eco code

Chinese authorities are revising and refining regulations and rules related to environmental protection and green development to ensure the effective implementation of a newly adopted law, officials said on Tuesday.

The Environmental and Ecological Code, China's second law designated as a "code", will take effect on Aug 15. In preparation, authorities are accelerating the formulation and revision of supporting measures to ensure the effective implementation of the code and promote environmental protection and green, low-carbon development.

Since the code was adopted by the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, in March as the fundamental law governing environmental and ecological protection, "we have systematically launched legislative work in priority and emerging areas, including carbon emissions reduction, pollution control and green development," said Vice-Minister of Ecology and Environment Guo Fang.

The goal is to establish an institutional framework centered on the code and supported by complementary regulations and technical standards, Guo said.

As the country's primary environmental law enforcement authority, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will strengthen supervision and law enforcement while leveraging technological innovation to improve governance efficiency and further standardize ecological and environmental management, she added.

Zhou Haibing, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, stressed the importance of supporting regulations to aid the code's implementation. He said the commission is revising laws and regulations related to energy conservation, the circular economy, renewable energy and other areas to ensure consistency with the new code.

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the National Development and Reform Commission, together with the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, have also conducted comprehensive reviews of their administrative regulations, departmental rules and judicial guidance, and are promptly revising or abolishing provisions that are inconsistent with the code.

Yang Linping, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, said the court is also preparing judicial interpretations to support the implementation of the code.

"For example, a judicial interpretation on the temporal application of the code is currently being drafted," she said, adding that several guiding cases are ready to be released to promote the accurate application of the code.

Vice-Minister of Justice Hu Weilie said authorities will introduce more public-friendly measures to help people better understand the code, while strengthening legal education for front-line law enforcement officers and business operators.

"We will also improve legal services related to ecological and environmental protection, expand legal aid in this field, and continue enhancing the quality of authentication for environmental damage compensation, as well as talent development in this area," he said.

Shen Chunyao, head of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, said the English version of the code has been released to help present China's ecological and environmental rule-of-law achievements to the international community.

Yang also emphasized the importance of promoting the code globally, adding that Chinese judges have introduced the legislation and shared how Chinese courts support the country's green and low-carbon transition through international seminars.

The code addresses the longstanding problem of fragmented environmental legislation, which had resulted in overlapping provisions and poor coordination among different laws. Rather than simply compiling existing laws or creating an entirely new legal framework, the code systematically integrates, revises and elevates the country's existing ecological and environmental legal institutions, mechanisms, rules and standards.

caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn