Improving legislation for environmental protection was a hot topic at the
Environment and Resources Protection Conference of the National People's
Congress (NPC).
The three-day event ended yesterday in Shanghai.
"Nowadays, the attention given to the amendment of old laws is much less than
that given to the drafting of new laws,'' said Mao Rubai of the NPC Environment
and Resources Protection Committee.
"Similarly the legislative work is more focused on the writing period than
the reviewing.''
Yet a sound legal structure for environmental protection is not determined
solely by the number of laws.
"Only with good quality can the laws be better implemented,'' Mao added,
pointing out that some of the problems encountered in environmental work have a
lot to do with legislation.
Sheng Huaren, vice-chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, voiced similar
sentiments, and said several pieces of environmental legislation now top the NPC
agenda.
They include promotion and protection of natural reserves and protection and
development of sea islands.
China is the world's largest coal consuming country, and development and use
of coal resources has resulted in widespread environmental and biological
problems.
Expanding the use of renewable energy is an effective way to curb those
problems. However, without an effective policy to encourage development and
marketing of renewable energy, the process will remain slow.
The NPC plans to legislate in this field to fuel its growth.
In 1994 the State Council passed the Natural Reserve Protection Regulation,
yet after so many years the regulation has in many ways failed to keep pace with
the new situation.
"The establishment and management of natural reserves is still chaotic,'' Mao
said.
The lack of healthy plans and over-development are rampant. Thus a law to
further enhance the protection and management of the reserves is under
consideration.
When talking about the necessity of drafting a law for sea islands, Mao said
the absence of such a law has already resulted in great disorder by putting both
the environment of China's islands and the ocean surrounding them at risk.
