context: The forthcoming biodiversity strategy will set out how the PRC plans to protect biodiversity in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and will include measures to protect 30 percent of the PRC's land, inland bodies of water and coastal seas by 2030. Given the ecological red line zoning system already protects nearly 30 percent of PRC land, the new strategy may expand this scheme or at least clarify its scope and function. The creation of more national parks is also likely.
A series of policy documents were approved at an MEE (Ministry of Ecology and Environment) meeting on 25 Sep 2023, including
- ‘China biodiversity protection strategy and action plan (2023-30)’
- builds on ‘Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
- will be the flagship document governing biodiversity in the coming years
- ‘National plan to implement the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2023 supplementary edition) (submitted for review)’
- accords with the Convention’s requirements
- new tasks under the Convention should be incorporated into pollution management, EIAs (environmental impact assessments), monitoring, law enforcement and supervision and education
- four sets of technical guidelines on oversight and management related to effluent outlets in rivers and marine environments
- builds on ‘Implementation opinions on strengthening supervision of pollution discharge outlets of rivers and seas’
- forms a ‘1+N’ policy system for managing pollution outlets into rivers and seas
- aims to standardise oversight and management and guide the classification, tracing and information collection of pollution outlets
- nine ecological and environmental monitoring standards