Analysis of Chinese Environmental Legal System and International Legal Frameworks on Supporting Green and Low-Carbon Development

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze the Chinese legal system and international legal frameworks on supporting green and low-carbon development, one of the strategies adopted to achieve sustainable development while effectively addressing climate change. However, different projects and measures supporting green and low-carbon development may affect one another if legal and policy measures are not well established and implemented. Globally, different international instruments highlight various commitments that guide the implementation of green and low-carbon development. At the domestic level, China has numerous plans and policies aimed at achieving these goals, and both international and domestic measures on green and low-carbon development are interdependent. This study found that China has different environmental laws that can advance green and low-carbon development. However, these laws often lack specific references to “green and low-carbon development,” a phrase that appears primarily in policies. This gap may lead to a lack of coherence between those policies and the absence of specific institutions dedicated to these goals. This study recommends that specific laws can be enacted from different existing Chinese plans and policies to ensure a coherent and long-term framework for green and low-carbon development. With the existence of such a law, responsible institutions will be established, and the enforcement of policies and plans related to green and low-carbon development will be ensured.