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SCIO briefing on National Human Rights Action Plan of China (2021-2025)

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First, people's livelihoods. We say that the environment is the basis of people's livelihoods. Developing the economy is for people's well-being, and so is protecting the environment. We should not only create more material wealth to meet people's ever-growing needs for a better life, but also provide more high-quality ecological products to meet people's ever-growing needs for a beautiful ecological environment. In particular, we are exploring new methods for the environment and health to enhance each other and address prominent environmental problems that undermine people's health. The revised Environmental Protection Law makes protecting public health its purpose. Apart from the general principles, the law stipulates in its specific rules that the country should establish and improve the monitoring, investigation and risk assessment mechanism of the environment and health, carry out studies about the impacts of environmental quality on health, and prevent and control various environment-related diseases. The country has also formulated, published and adjusted the lists of toxic and harmful pollutants according to the latest risk assessments of their impacts to the environment and human health.

Second, fairness. A good ecological environment is the fairest public product and provides inclusive wellbeing for the people. Therefore, we need to coordinate eco-environmental protection in rural and urban areas. We will take further actions to tackle atmospheric pollution in cities, such as PM2.5 intensity that has concerned many people. We will pay attention to resolving water pollution in river basins and regions, including odor pollution and black and fetid water bodies. We will also speed up to tackle pollution from non-point source and soil pollution that has affected people's living environment in rural areas. By doing these, equal access to basic public environmental services between urban and rural areas will be promoted, which embodies fairness in environment.

Third, openness or participation. Ecological civilization is a cause that all people participate in, work together for and benefit from. It requires us to turn the "Beautiful China" campaign into a voluntary action by all. Everyone should be a protector, builder, and beneficiary of the eco-environment, rather than a mere spectator, outsider, and critic. We will carry out public green actions and encourage the entire society to make more contributions to eco-environmental protection. This year, Chinese environmental protection authorities launched an activity with the theme of "Beautiful China: I'm a doer." And I'd like to ask you to follow its progress. China's Environmental Protection Law includes public participation as one of the basic principles in the general provisions. Its Chapter Five - Environmental Information Disclosure and Public Participation - stipulates the basic government responsibility on environmental protection, including disclosing environmental information to the public in a unified and scheduled manner. Every year, the State Council releases data from all government departments and compiles a communique on the environmental situation, as do all local governments. Environmental protection authorities and other relevant departments need to release public environmental information collected when they perform their functions, while enterprises are asked to disclose their environmental information affecting public rights, interests, and health. As economic entities, enterprises may discharge pollutants during operational activities, which may affect the public environment or cause hazards to public health. On these occasions, they have an obligation to disclose the type, quantity, concentration, and disposition of the pollutants. In particular, some listed companies, bond issuers, heavy-polluting units listed on the key supervision list, and enterprises punished for breaking the law must disclose their environmental information, including rectification plans. The current environmental protection inspection launched by the central government has fully disclosed environmental violations in typical cases and urged relevant polluters to make rectification plans to guarantee people's right to be informed, and to participate in and supervise environmental protection.