“Toxic chemicals” refers to chemicals which, after entering the environment, are detrimental to human health and the environment by means of environmental accumulation, bio-accumulation, bio-transfer or chemical reaction, or are seriously detrimental and potentially dangerous to the human body through exposure. When pollution caused by such chemicals as pesticides, organisms, waste water and gas becomes increasingly serious, and when disasters frequently caused by toxic substances constitute a serious threat to the environment, human and animal health and other benefiting organisms, people become increasingly concerned about toxic chemicals and realize that negligence at any link from production, storage and transport to the use of toxic chemicals will have a destructive effect on human health and the ecological environment.

The government has also realized, to a deeper extent, that mobilizing the public to participate in environmental protection activities and supervising the enforcement of environmental laws and regulations are essential prerequisites for the implementation of laws and policies for the protection of the environment and the realization of environmental protection goals. Attention has been paid to publicizing various types of environmental information, so that the public can keep abreast of the current environmental situation. The opinions of relevant public and mass organizations are solicited during the process of assessing the environmental impact of construction projects. The government also calls for immediate settlement of environmental issues reported by NPC deputies and CPPCC members at various levels, and exposure, through the mass media, of units or individuals who cause serious environmental pollution and damage by violating environmental laws and regulations, so as to raise the awareness of the whole people about the importance of controlling environmental pollution and improving the ecological environment. Pollution accidents are those accidents which, caused by economic and social activities and behavior in violation of environmental protection laws and regulations or by the influence of unexpected factors and unavoidable natural disasters, result in contamination of the environment, harm human health, or cause social or economic losses. The adoption of a pollution accident reporting system has enabled the government and related departments to immediately take preventive measures against pollution and the proliferation of such accidents, and enables units and residents threatened by pollution to take preventive measures. It helps the State, collectives and individuals to avoid or minimize property loss. In addition, the system creates conditions for finding out the causes, extent of damage and impact of accidents, and promotes the smooth handling of the consequences.

The State Council approved China’s Ten Countermeasures for the Environment and Development and China’s Agenda 21 in 1992 and 1995, respectively. The implementation of China’s Agenda 21 is aimed at strengthening scientific and technical undertakings in the field of social development, promoting harmonious development between the economy, society, population, resources and the environment, creating a sound natural and social environment, and stressing the rational development and utilization of the environment and resources, in order to reduce the number and extent of disasters.

China’s Agenda 21 is also called the White Paper on China’s Population, Environment and Development in the 21st Century. This document, proceeding from the country’s specific national conditions in these three respects, stipulate China’s overall strategy, measures and program of action for sustainable development. It is a guideline document for working out medium- and long-term plans for national economic and social development. The short-term objectives (1994-2000) put forward in China’s Agenda 21 are as follows: Urgent action should be taken to solve outstanding contradictions existing between the environment and development and to lay a solid foundation for long-term sustainable development, so that the environmental quality, living quality and resources status no longer deteriorate but improve partially while a proper economic growth rate is maintained. To strengthen the capacity for sustainable development is also a crucial short-term goal. The medium-term objectives (2000-2010) give priority to a series of sustainable development steps taken to change the mode of development and mode of consumption. The other medium-term objectives include improving administrative systems, economic industrial policies, technological systems and norms of social conduct which are applicable to sustainable development. The long-term objective (after 2010) is to restore and improve China’s capability of regulating economic-social-ecological systems so as to develop economy and society within the capacity of environment and resources, and find a highly-efficient, harmonious and sustainable modernization road which suits China’s national conditions, so as to make due contributions to the global process of sustainable development. The priority areas included in the priority projects programming framework of China’s Agenda 21 are: resources and environmental protection, global environmental issues, population control and social sustainable development, capacity building for sustainable development, sustainable development of industries and communications, agricultural sustainable development, and sustained energy production and consumption.

China’s Agenda 21 advocates that “China should never slip back into the old rut of ‘pollution first, treatment afterward’ and ‘destruction first, realignment afterward,’ in order to achieve a sustainable economic and social development. It should build on existing conditions and on work in progress, and make full use of economic means and the market mechanism to promote sustainable development, and in the meantime striving to reach the goal of attaining economic growth, eliminating poverty and protecting the environment.” Associating economic development and market competition with environmental protection is an important way to solve environmental issues and realize sustainable development. Realization of sustainable development for the whole of society depends on the joint efforts of every element of society, enterprises in particular. The ISO14001 Principle may help enterprises to enhance their awareness of and impetus for environmental protection to achieve sustainable development by linking their environmental performance to their development and market competition. It is also very useful in the effective management and control of the areas which some environmental laws and regulations have difficulty covering, for instance, rational utilization of energy resources, collection and re-use of wastes, development of new environment-friendly products, and substitution of hazardous and auxiliary materials. This is a good supplement and improvement to China’s existing chemicals management system.

Environmental science and technology systems of different types and disciplines have taken shape in China. Staffed by thousands of environmental scientists, they are an important force in China’s environmental protection efforts. China will attach greater importance to the role of science and technology workers, and depend on scientific and technological advances to protect and improve the environment.

(1) Great efforts will be made in environmental technological research and development. Scientists and researchers will be organized to study and develop high-efficiency, low-consumption productive technology and technical equipment, develop pollution control technology and ecology recovery technology which suit the national conditions, strengthen research into and the spread of comprehensive resources utilization technology, and carry out collaborative research on key issues. In addition, the State will allocate annually a certain sum of research funds for research projects related to environmental management, while continuing to strengthen research into new environmental monitoring methods, technologies and equipment.

(2) Environmental protection policies shall be tested scientifically. During the process of formulating its environmental protection policy, China will organize specialists to test the necessity, feasibility and scientific quality of such a policy. To this end, the Environmental Protection Committee of the State Council and the SEPA jointly set up an advisory committee of experts in various specialties. To tap opinions from overseas experts and specialists in an extensive way, the China International Environment and Development Committee was established, with the approval of the State Council. The committee has undertaken some monographic studies and worked out a consultancy plan. These activities are conducive to the formulation of policies promoting harmonious development between the environment, the economy and society.

(3) Technical consultation and services concerning environmental protection will be further carried out. At present, there are only a few professional environment-related consultancy companies in China, operating on a very small scale and provided limited services. With the deepening of the reform and opening-up drive, more such companies will be established to serve society and facilitate the transformation of environmental protection technology into actual environmental and economic benefits.

The industrial and commercial sectors of the economy are the two major sources of environmental pollution. China will adopt effective measures to make the two sectors fulfill their responsibilities and obligations in terms of environmental protection.

(1) The State will give aid to the enterprises using water and energy-saving technology and equipment and the technology and equipment generating less or no wastes, and encourage the adoption of environment-friendly technology to carry out clean production. The State bans projects which consume a great deal of resources and energy, are technologically backward and cause serious environmental pollution.

(2) China pays attention to the environmental impact of products and will launch an “environmental sign” campaign at the proper time. Enterprises are encouraged to produce environment-friendly products, and the public are encouraged to buy products with “environmental labeling”. “Green food” and “organic food” campaigns are now underway in China, stressing environment-friendly technology to produce and process food, vegetables, fruits and livestock products.

(3) The State also encourages enterprises to engage in environmental protection, and ensure that they control pollution, by formulating standards and extending economic incentives.

(4) China will gradually formulate quality standards for environmental protection products, standardize environmental protection equipment, promote the production of related equipment, and improve the quality of environmental protection products, for which quality testing centers are being established in a planned way.

In order to better coordinate and promote the role of industrial and commercial circles in environmental protection, the Chinese Government has approved the establishment of the China Environmental Protection Industry Association, a non-governmental organization.

Efforts will be made to enhance enterprises’ self-discipline and awareness of law observation, promote the rigid enforcement of environmental legislation and management systems, and the implementation of clean production. The Environmental Protection Law stipulates that during their production activities, enterprises must observe the relevant laws, regulations, standards, systems and administrative requirements for pollution control, and reach the State standards for waste discharge and environmental impact assessment. The establishment of the ISO14001 environmental management system will help enterprises to meet these requirements. Targeting management, ISO14001 covers a wide range, including control of pollutants and pollution sources, rational utilization of resources and energy, control of both generated and potential environmental factors, control of environmental factors caused by enterprises themselves, and rational exertion of influence on other related aspects. The management mode of ISO14001 embodies the idea of clean production and controls the whole process of production. As a result, clean production means fulfilling the requirements of ISO14001.

On October 22, 1994, the 10th meeting of the eighth NPC Standing Committee adopted a resolution on joining ILO Convention No. 170. To fulfill the obligations of the convention, the Ministry of Chemical Industry and Ministry of Labor jointly formulated the Regulations on the Safety in Use of Chemicals at Workplaces. They also worked out the Regulations on the Preparation of Technical Safety Instructions for Hazardous Chemicals (GB 16483-96). These State standards have been disseminated among chemical industry enterprises and workers, educating them in the harm that can result from exposure to chemicals and make them take safety precautions.

In addition, major enterprises in the chemicals industrial sector are carrying out the “responsible care” activity, which aims to channel the sense of environmental protection into various links of production and management and inculcate an attitude of industrial self-discipline.

BACK