China’s environmental watchdog is willing to become an underdog in producing real solutions to the snowballing pollution problem in China. Translated from Oriental Morning Post (‰∏úÊñπÊó©Êä•):
SEPA, China’s equivalent of US EPA, has four times announced “environmental protection storms” over recent years, but the results are modest, admitted its outspoken deputy chief Pan Yue (ÊΩòÂ≤≥) at a “green China” forum in Beijing. The storms haven’t become a systematic measurement that restricts the polluting by factories. So he puts high hopes in working out a set of environmental-economical policies, from legislative to technical to administrative measures, to resolve the lack of effectiveness of the “storms.”
Pan says he expects to expand cooperation with the People’s Bank of China, China Banking Regulatory Commission to Ministry of Finance, China Insurance and Securities Regulatory Commissions in working out environmental taxation, ecological remedies, green insurance and pollution responsibility policies. He also hopes to work with the Ministry of Commerce to restrict exports from those firms who don’t live up to their environmental obligations.
“As long as the policies can be implemented, it doesn’t matter who takes the lead or calls the shots, SEPA is willing to serve as a supporting role or an underdog,” Pan says. China’s environmental problems are right “in front of our eyes,” and it’s time to overcome departmental interests or power struggles, he concludes. [Full Text in Chinese]
