In order to meet the country’s increasingly ambitious air emission targets, Chinese policymakers have unleashed a wave of environmental reforms—from increasing pollutant discharge disclosure requirements and ratcheting up pollution penalties, to authorizing NGOs to bring public interest lawsuits against polluters. The pressure on polluters is likely to intensify with the revisions of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law and moving towards the creation of a national framework for emissions trading. Speakers will assess the prospects of these environmental reforms, as well as discuss how these new laws are linked to broader governance reforms to enhance transparency, public participation, and capacity in environmental protection.

(Photo credit to Asia Society Center on US-China Relations)