China makes officials liable for environmental damage for life
China has reminded its officials of their lifelong responsibility for serious environmental damage on their watch, tying green efforts more closely to performance assessments in the country’s push for higher-quality growth. The conditions and potential disciplinary action were outlined in revised rules released on Tuesday by the Communist Party and the State Council, China’s cabinet. Under the…
China has introduced new rules that will make officials liable for environmental damage for their entire lives, tying green efforts more closely to performance assessments. The revised regulations, released by the Communist Party and the State Council, state that officials will be held accountable for serious environmental damage, regardless of their job status or tenure.
These changes are part of China's push towards a higher-quality growth model, in line with President Xi Jinping's "new development philosophy" and the goal of building an "ecological civilisation". The regulations are expected to broaden accountability, extending it to leaders of state-owned enterprises, public institutions, and development zones.
Officials can face disciplinary action if they approve projects violating environmental laws, fail to regulate polluting businesses, mishandle major environmental incidents, or neglect problems identified by inspectors. The new rules reflect Xi's focus on promoting a "correct view of political performance", with greater emphasis on tangible results for the public.
They also include a more nuanced approach to accountability, taking into account the historical, nature, severity, response, consequences, and recovery efforts related to each official's actions.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
