China Legal & Regulation~

China’s ESG rules approach maturity after 20 years

October 13, 2024 CEN_com 0

China’s first policy on environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance reporting – the Announcement on Corporate Environmental Information Disclosure – was issued by China’s State Environmental Protection Administration in 2003. It encouraged and supported enterprises to disclose environment-related information. Twenty years later, in December 2023, the State Council released its Opinions on Comprehensively Promoting the Construction of a Beautiful China. In article 24, section 9, the council explicitly called for an exploration of the […]

China commits to strengthening controls on illegal building to protect farmland

September 2, 2024 CEN_com 0

Chinese authorities have committed to tough measures to safeguard arable land by releasing case studies involving the confiscation and disposal of illegal buildings and structures. The Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) and the Ministry of Natural Resources have published four typical cases from Sichuan, Guangxi, Hebei, and Heilongjiang. An SPP official noted that removing illegal buildings and structures remains a challenge for Chinese prosecutors in land use law enforcement. This situation […]

China: huge spending to modernize network to cope with green energy surge

July 15, 2024 CEN_com 0

China plans to invest over $800 billion in its electricity grid over the next six years to support its green energy transition. The distribution grid is currently a significant bottleneck, with rapid renewable energy growth putting strain on the system. This year, China invested 122.9 billion RMB ($17 billion) in grid projects, a 24.9% increase from last year. Despite heavy investments, more than 100 regions have halted new small-scale solar […]

China’s biodiversity pledge

May 23, 2024 CEN_com 0

Cover photo: Oriental white storks fly over the Caofeidian wetland in Tangshan, north China’s Hebei Province. /Xinhua From species to ecosystem: China’s conservation commitment for biodiversity and human well-being. Jiang Zhigang is professor in Conservation Biology at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. His work mainly focuses on inventory, red list assessment, and conservation of animal diversity. The following opinion piece appeared in CGTN. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment of the […]

China’s Battle Against Persistent Organic Pollutants Praised

May 20, 2024 CEN_com 0

China’s efforts to control organic pollutants wins recognition from foreign ecological experts. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are toxic chemicals that persist in the environment, accumulate through the food chain and have the potential for long-range environmental transport, posing risks to human health and the environment. Examples involve certain pesticides, industrial chemicals and unintentional by-products of industrial processes. “China’s pivotal role in global chemical management cannot be overstated,” said Rolph Payet, executive […]

China Cuts Persistent Organic Pollutants

May 20, 2024 CEN_com 0

China’s efforts to control organic pollutants wins recognition from foreign ecological experts. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are toxic chemicals that persist in the environment, accumulate through the food chain and have the potential for long-range environmental transport, posing risks to human health and the environment. Examples involve certain pesticides, industrial chemicals and unintentional by-products of industrial processes. “China’s pivotal role in global chemical management cannot be overstated,” said Rolph Payet, […]

Hong Kong approves new tech hub environmental plan

May 20, 2024 CEN_com 0

The Hong Kong special administrative region has considered a plan to build a proposed innovation and technology (I&T) hub, known as the San Tin Technopole in Yuen Longan, near the border with mainland China and Shenzen. Hong Kong’s Environmental Protection Department has given approval to the environmental study into a plan to turn fish ponds in the northern New Territories into a tech hub. The approval is subject to a series of environmental conditions. […]

Hong Kong’s new enviro-tech hub plan

May 20, 2024 CEN_com 0

The Hong Kong special administrative region has considered a plan to build a proposed innovation and technology (I&T) hub, known as the San Tin Technopole in Yuen Longan, near the border with mainland China and Shenzen. Hong Kong’s Environmental Protection Department has given approval to the environmental study into a plan to turn fish ponds in the northern New Territories into a tech hub. The approval is subject to a series of environmental conditions. […]

China’s air cleaner as NOx levels fall

May 13, 2024 CEN_com 0

A recent study published in the journal Environmental Science and Ecotechnology has revealed a significant decline in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from human activities in China since 2020. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) form aerosols and ozone in the atmosphere and are significant contributors to air pollution, acid rain and climate change. The research was conducted by a team of scientists from China and France. The study employed satellite observations and air quality modeling […]