Dr. Zhou Jinfeng, Secretary-General o of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) receives the invitation to the seminar hosted by the France Embassy in China, which is to taken place on September 23rd. Dr. Zhou will deliver a keynote speech themed with Environmental Public Interest Litigation: Civil Society Promotes A High-quality Development in the Era of Ecological Civilization.

The surge of pork price has aroused wide concern. According to the statistics published by the National Bureau of Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), affected by food price, increases by 1.74 percent year-on-year, and the pork price is up 27 percent. An analyst says that the African swine fever (ASF) still has an effect on the pork market, and predicts a potential high pork price for the future few months.

At the preparatory meeting, Dr. Zhou shared his views on environmental responsibilities shouldered by enterprises, social organizations and government based on the recent climb in pork price. His views are edited and published as follows:

Firstly, we should not treat environmental protection and hogs farming as two independent issues. The market proves that the pork price reduces when the cost for enterprises to raise hogs lowers, leading to the decline in the pigs farming in return. The market adjusts the production and price, causing a price fluctuation in pork price. We should realize the reality that even the number of hogs increases the pork will still maintain at a high price in the short term because of the ASF. Moreover, the relatively high pork price should not become the excuse for discrediting environmental protection to reduce the cost of enterprises, which will ultimately lead to great damage to public environmental interests and the deterioration of current and future living space and living conditions. We should analyze the roles of enterprises, social organizations and governments in environmental protection through the outbreak of ASF. The ultimate purpose of environmental law is to safeguard public environmental interests, not just to protect any single stakeholder.

Secondly, social organizations should actively engage in lawmaking, revising legislation, popularizing laws and litigation as well as join hands with other stakeholders to establish a sound legal system for public environmental benefits, which will promote the advancement of enterprises. The social responsibilities of enterprises should be enriched with environmental liability on the basis of observing the law and discipline. The Ecological Civilization requires a rethinking in culture, production, life and legal. It is a new Marxist value and methodology needed to be received by the public.

(Photo credit: CBCGDF)

Original Chinese article:

http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4854/9850.html

By / Wang Yanqing Modified / Maggie