The International Seminar on Environmental Rule of Law and Green Development was held in Chengdu, capital city of Southwest China's Sichuan province, on Nov 8. The seminar was organized by the Supreme People's Court (SPC) of China, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the ClientEarth NGO, and addressed by Yang Linping, vice-president of the SPC.

Yang said protecting the environment to achieve sustainable development is a common challenge faced by the whole of humanity. It is also a major responsibility of China's environment-related judiciary to support the building of a beautiful China and promote green and low-carbon development of the country, she added. 

Chinese courts adhere to the principles of impartial administration of justice, green development, systemic protection, strict rule of law and coordinated governance, which have led to the formation of a distinctive system for environment-related adjudication in the country, providing law-based support for deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization, Yang said.

While acknowledging the fruitful results of the seminar, Yang expressed the Chinese courts' willingness to strengthen exchanges, deepen cooperation and work together with all parties to implement the consensuses reached at the seminar, providing robust judicial services and guarantees to promote harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

Wang Shujiang, president of the High People's Court of Sichuan Province, also attended the seminar, along with officials from the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, the SPC, the Supreme People's Procuratorate of China, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, as well as some NPC deputies, members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and representatives from local courts.

International participants included senior officials, experts and scholars from the UNEP, ClientEarth, the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Indonesia and Kenya.