An international seminar on the judicial approach to climate change was held in Beijing on June 13.

Jiang Bixin, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), attended the seminar and gave a speech.

Jiang said the seminar, co-sponsored by the SPC’s Foreign Affairs Bureau and Adjudication Tribunal for Environment and Resources, and ClientEarth, a non-profit environmental law organization founded in 2008, was significant for environmental judicial practice

Climate change is a pressing issue facing the world, he added, noting that China has actively confronted it.

In 2014, the SPC set up an Adjudication Tribunal for Environment and Resources to deal with cases concerning climate change, said Jiang.

Courts at various levels are encouraged to deal flexibly with environmental issues, including carbon emission, energy conservation, green financing and biodiversity.

In the global context, environmental judicial practices play a vital role in combating climate change.

“Expert evidence will definitely promote understanding in China and the rest of the world about environmental cases,” said Jiang, noting that “judicial practices will play a more dynamic and constructive role in global climate governance.”