Public Participation in Environmental Protection

An eco-civilization needs the concerted effort and contribution of everyone, and it is to be shared by all. Orderly public participation in environmental protection also satisfies the public's expectation of a better eco-environment, and safeguards and realizes their rights and interests related to the environment.

In May 2014, the Ministry of Environmental Protection released its guidance on public participation in environmental protection. The document guaranteed that the public's rights to be informed, to participate, to be heard, and to oversee would be respected and protected. It emphasized public participation from the very beginning and throughout the whole process, and proposed the idea of building a system of extensive participation of the public.

The amended Law on Environmental Protection, which came into effect in January 2015, also contains stipulations about information release and public participation. According to the Methods of Public Participation in Environmental Protection, implemented in September 2015, public participation should be voluntary at public convenience and conducted in a lawful and orderly way, with provisions to better guarantee people's rights to be informed, to participate, to be heard, and to oversee.

環(huán)境保護公眾參與

生態(tài)文明是人民群眾共同參與、共同建設(shè)、共同享有的事業(yè)，美麗中國建設(shè)同每個人息息相關(guān)，離不開每一個人的努力。推動公眾依法有序參與環(huán)境保護，是滿足公眾對良好生態(tài)環(huán)境的期待、維護和實現(xiàn)公眾環(huán)境權(quán)益的重要途徑。

2014年5月，環(huán)境保護部印發(fā)《關(guān)于推進環(huán)境保護公眾參與的指導(dǎo)意見》，首次明確了尊重和保障公眾的環(huán)境知情權(quán)、參與權(quán)、表達(dá)權(quán)和監(jiān)督權(quán)，強調(diào)源頭參與和全過程參與，并提出構(gòu)建全民參與環(huán)境保護的社會行動體系，保障公眾參與主體的廣泛性。2015年1月正式實施的新修訂的《中華人民共和國環(huán)境保護法》對信息公開和公眾參與作出根本性規(guī)定。2015年9月正式施行的《環(huán)境保護公眾參與辦法》進一步明確了依法、有序、自愿、便利的公眾參與原則，努力滿足公眾對生態(tài)環(huán)境保護的知情權(quán)、參與權(quán)、表達(dá)權(quán)和監(jiān)督權(quán)，為環(huán)境保護公眾參與提供了重要制度保障。