Environmental protection made more coherent

Editor's note: Effective since Saturday, the Ecological and Environmental Code is China's second statutory code after the Civil Code. Zhu Xiao, a professor at the Law School of Renmin University of China, spoke to China Central Television about the significance of the code. Below are excerpts of the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

Issues concerning ecological and environmental protection are of profound importance as they have a bearing on the enduring development of the country.

China has drawn on years of environmental protection practices to build a solid foundation for advancing the construction of an ecological civilization, and these experiences are worthy of being summarized, refined and inculcated into legal provisions.

The country has more than 30 specific laws on environmental protection, over 100 administrative regulations, more than 1,000 local regulations, and more than 10 intra-Party regulations on ecological and environmental work. To tackle fragmentation, inconsistencies and repetition, a systematic legislative approach was indispensable and codification was the optimal option.

The Ecological and Environmental Code addresses the fragmentation inherent in traditional legislation to build a more coherent legal system.

Among the contents of the code are three major parts, which focus on pollution prevention and control, ecological conservation, and green and low-carbon development. This will help achieve sustainability in three aspects.

The part on pollution prevention and control aims to achieve the sustainable development of people. When the sustainable development of people is achieved, the following part, which is on ecological conservation, seeks to achieve the sustainable development of the natural environment. Then it is necessary to have sustainable energy to support sustainable economic and social development.

The part on green and low-carbon development will serve as an institutional framework for promoting low-carbon growth. For example, various laws and regulations could be formulated under this framework to help achieve the "dual carbon" goals, mitigate climate change and adapt to it.

The code has a special chapter on ecological restoration. The chapter helps establish coordinated and centralized provisions that cover the whole process and various subjects. Whole-process coverage means it regulates all six stages of ecological restoration projects, which are planning, assessment, monitoring, implementation, acceptance inspection and follow-up management. In addition, the chapter prescribes measures for restoring forests, grasslands and wetlands, and advances coordinated land and marine environmental governance by setting out special provisions on marine ecological restoration.

A prominent feature of the code is its focus on environmental issues that affect people's daily lives. For example, when it comes to addressing cooking fumes, the code asks local governments to ensure relevant companies design, build and locate their business venues according to requirements in the first place. Another example is light pollution. The code explicitly defines light pollution, calls for limits on light sources, and lays out clear requirements for billboards, neon lights and other scenarios.