Yunnan set to implement green rules

Existing environmental protection law passed in 1992 will be abolished by Nov. 1

Yunnan province in Southwest China will soon implement a fresh set of rules concerning ecological and environmental protection, introducing a dedicated standard on green and low-carbon development and establishing lifelong accountability regarding environmental damages for officials.

The rules are included in Yunnan's regulations on ecological and environmental protection, which were adopted by the provincial legislature in late September and will come into force on Nov 1, according to a media release from Yunnan authorities on Sunday.

The province's current regulations on environmental protection, which were passed in 1992, will be abolished, it added.

A new section on green and low-carbon development is designed to better implement the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", which is one of the 10 tenets of the Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, according to a statement from the Yunnan legislature released in August, when it started to solicit public opinions for a draft of the new regulations.

The section is also meant to implement the directives of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China to accelerate the green transformation of development methods, and promote green and low-carbon socioeconomic development, the statement noted.

The new regulations mandate that different levels of government in Yunnan should integrate the concept of green and low-carbon development into their socioeconomic development plans.

They must actively work toward the development of green and low-carbon industries, strengthen waste recycling systems, implement incentives to promote green consumption and promote green and low-carbon production modes and lifestyles, as they make efforts to achieve a comprehensive green and low-carbon transformation in socioeconomic development.

The Yunnan provincial government should establish a mechanism on tackling climate change, according to the regulation.

Participation in the construction of the national carbon trading market and the China Certified Emission Reduction program, a voluntary program in which participants can trade carbon credits, is also compulsory.

The government is also obligated to beef up the carbon absorption capacity of ecosystems and strengthen the ability of the province's natural ecosystems and socioeconomic systems to adapt to climate change.

The new regulations encompass a damage compensation system aimed at safeguarding and enhancing the ecosystem.

Individuals and companies responsible for ecological and environmental harm are required to rectify such damages. In cases where the damages are irreparable, they must provide compensation or undertake alternative restoration measures.

Should the violator proactively fulfill their obligations to compensate for damages, this action will be viewed as a factor warranting leniency, mitigation or exemption from penalties.

Yunnan province will also strengthen environmental assessments and accountability for government officials, according to the regulations.

Governments at and above the county level should integrate the evaluations of their ecological environment statuses and the achievements of their ecological protection goals into the assessment criteria for relevant departments at their respective levels and for lower-level governments, and the results will be made public.

Yunnan will also implement a supervisory system for auditing the natural resource assets when a relevant official leaves office and a lifelong accountability system for ecological and environmental damage responsibility for officials, according to the regulations.