The Supreme People's Court's leadership in environmental justice was further exemplified through its 2021 Kunming Declaration, developed with UNEP, establishing fundamental principles of environmental jurisprudence. The fact that over 45 Chinese environmental cases have been recognized by UNEP as global models, speaks to the quality and innovation of China's environmental judiciary. They also reflect China's commitment to becoming, “an ecological civilization,” using judicial protections to meet both domestic development goals, and global sustainability targets.

UNDP has a longstanding partnership with China to strengthen environmental governance through legal frameworks. We provided important inputs to drafting China's Renewable Energy Law in 2005, by facilitating extensive stakeholder consultations, and offering international expertise. This continued with our support for the Wetland Conservation Law in 2021: we organized workshops across sectors to refine the legislation, and developed capacities to implement it thanks to financial support from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). We also helped develop the National Park Law, by facilitating knowledge exchanges on international best practices in protected area management.

Beyond domestic legislation, UNDP has connected Chinese judicial expertise with global networks. Our partnership with the Global Judicial Institute on the Environment Task Force (GJIE) aims to expand capacities of judges worldwide, including by sharing knowledge between Chinese jurists and their counterparts in countries like Bangladesh, seeking to strengthen their environmental justice systems.

In future, UNDP sees strategic opportunities to further deepen the collaboration with China on protecting the planet. Our joint initiative with the Ocean University of China to establish the “Innovation Base for Foreign-related Legal Talents” is a case in point. With the Qingdao Intermediate People's Court as the newest partner, this dynamic platform is compiling a comprehensive repository of environmental case law and judicial precedents that will inform and empower the next generation of environmental law experts, on both Chinese and international environmental law.

Such collaboration combines UNDP's convening power, China's judicial innovations, and academic excellence, offering a replicable model for strengthening environmental rule of law worldwide. Through partnerships like this, we hope to ensure legal systems have the skilled professionals needed to turn environmental principles, into tangible protections.

Moving forward, there also is an opportunity for China’s environmental laws and jurisdiction to continue evolving in tandem with international discussions on the importance to expand international environmental legislation and definitions of the right to a healthy environmentiii to incorporate the effects of climate change. Path-breaking climate litigation emerging in a few other countries has shown to be a potentially powerful incentive for policy making and guidance to investors to invest in the low carbon transformation and could provide an additional legislative tool to support China’s ambitious dual carbon goals.

To conclude, an effective and inclusive green transition requires solid legal frameworks, that are both visionary in ambition, and enforceable in implementation. UNDP remains committed to working with the Supreme People's Court, judicial training institutes, and global networks like the Global Judicial Institute on the Environment, to translate legal principles into enforceable safeguards.

Together, we can ensure environmental laws evolve with us – not only regulating human activity, but actively restoring our natural world.

Thank you!