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US-China Partnership for Environmental Law

Photo of Chinese temple and decorations.

Overview

China's recent promotion of clean energy technology has garnered a lot of media attention and could potentially provide for a cleaner future. However, blackened rivers and thick smog remain a far more common fact of life for most Chinese. We work with our partners to develop and apply legal tools and expertise to advance environmental governance in China.

 

Mission: Environmental Rule of Law as Key to China's Sustainable Development

China continues to face serious environmental problems resulting from its rapid economic development, and its legal structures and mechanisms play a critical role in enhancing environmental quality and controlling pollution. Yet, China lacks trained environmental lawyers who are knowledgeable and can competently apply and enforce the law, as well as instructors who can capably train the next generation of environmental advocates to advance China's environmental regulatory system. China's central government is in the process of making environmental law a required subject in all law schools and university law departments, but further work remains. Developing well-trained legal professionals, law professors, and effective regulatory policies and laws is a critical part of China's pursuit of sustainable development.


Vermont Law School (VLS) in collaboration with Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) launched the Partnership for Environmental Law in 2006 in response to the lack of knowledge, skills, and academic infrastructure needed to address environmental and energy challenges in China through the rule of law.

Program objectives include:

  • strengthening the capacity of Chinese educational, governmental, non-profit, and business sectors to solve environmental and energy problems through policy, law, and regulation;
  • improving China's policies, systems, laws, and regulations to advance the development and enforcement of environmental and energy law; and
  • enhancing networks in China to advance best practices in environmental protection and energy regulation.

The program addresses critically important priorities through a broad range of capacity-building activities. In addition to strengthening collaborating partners, the program is working to establish a strong network of environmental law professionals in Guangdong Province and in Beijing and is expanding the collaborative effort to other educational institutions on the national level as well as key government agencies. Through these efforts, the program is giving Chinese legal professionals, government officials, and others the tools to become better environmental problem-solvers.

US—China Partnership on Flickr