Environmental Reviews and Case Studies: The Laws of Climate Change in China

Abstract

The adverse impacts of climate change have become some of the most serious threats faced by humankind. China, the largest greenhouse gas emitter, has a huge impact on global climate change and thus has an inescapable responsibility to take necessary steps to mitigate it. In response to the gradual but increasingly serious adverse impact of climate change, the Chinese government has promulgated many laws, regulations, and policies to refine the specific areas of mitigating climate change in accordance with its obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, which form the fundamental international legal framework for addressing these issues. Nevertheless, many gaps still exist in the legislation for climate change. Besides, weak implementation and enforceability of climate change laws are still big problems in China. Furthermore, the Chinese environmental nongovernmental organizations should be granted more powers in the field of mitigating climate change. Lastly, although China should take further responsibility for preventing global climate change, the objective of mitigating climate change will never be achieved without effective international cooperation in this field.Environmental Practice 16: 205–229 (2014)