Several new environmental laws will be implemented from January 1, 2015. Legislative philosophy, regulatory mechanisms and legal liability are the highlights throughout the new environmental laws. It shows the Chinese authority is focusing on the importance of environment protection.
• New environmental laws -Article 6
"All units and individuals have the obligation to protect the environment"; "citizens should enhance environmental awareness and take a low-carbon lifestyle in order to fulfill their obligations of environmental protection."
• New Environmental Law- Article 47
The governments above the county level shall establish a public environmental pollution monitoring and early warning system; when environmental contamination could affect public health and environmental safety, this established system should have to publish early warning and start correspond actions.
According to this article, people and enterprises should be in accordance with the provisions of the State Emergency Response Law, and make the appropriate action. Environmental pollution monitoring and warning plan should be established in the public.
• New Environmental Law- Article 20
The State should establish a standard administrative key, dealing with environmental pollution and ecological damage with a unified planning, unified standards and monitoring, unified control system.
Chinese ministry of environmental protection & pollution prevention expressed at the press conference that strong enforcement of legal support will be provided before the joint prevention and control mechanism.
• New Environmental Law- Article 65
For environmental assessment agencies, environmental monitoring agencies, agencies concerning about environmental monitoring equipment and pollution prevention facilities, they will be punished in case of their activities have caused environmental pollution or ecological.