Country Profiles

Mission Statement

The main tasks of the CCICED are exchanging and disseminating international successful experience in the field of environment and development; studying key environment and development issues in China, putting forward policy recommendations to the leaders of the Chinese Government and policy makers at all levels, which are projecting, strategic and precautionary; supporting and facilitating the implementation of sustainable development strategy and development of a resource saving and environment-friendly society in China.

The objectives of CCICED are to:

• Provide strategic advice, policy recommendations and early policy warnings to the Chinese Government;
• Foster international cooperation on critical issues of environment and development, such as relevant planning, programs, scientific development, technology transfer, trainings, etc.;
• Provide advisory services to the Chinese Government and assess the economic, social and environmental impacts of such decision-making;
• Provide the Chinese Government with international expriences and communicate China's accomplishments and experience to other countries;
• Help to enhance China's capacity to accede to or implement international programs and to negotiate in relevant international conventions; and
• Play an advisory and assisting role in promoting public awareness and public participation in order to enhance awareness of policy-making on sustainable development.

Role and Functions

• advising on government policy or making policy recommendations, including NSDS
• stakeholder engagement.

Composition and Membership

The CCICED was established under the approval of the Chinese Government in 1992. The CCICED has worked for over four phases and is currently it is its fifth (2012-2016). Each phase is composed of 40-50 Chinese and International Council Members, with elections every five years.

The Chairperson of CCICED is the leader of the State Council. The Ministry of Environment Protection is responsible for the operation of CCICED.

Chair: Mr. Zhang Gaoli, also Vice Premier of the State Council.

Executive Vice Chair Persons: Zhou Shengxian - Minister, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Peter Kent - Member of Canadian Parliament, former Canadian Minister for the Environment.

Vice Chair Persons: Xie Zhenhua - Vice Chairman, National Development and Reform Commission of China, Achim Steiner - Under-Secretary-General, United Nations, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme.

Secretary General: Mr. Li Ganjie, Vice Minister of MEP.

The Secretariat is established and supported by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA). Headed by its director appointed by SEPA, the Secretariat serve as the implementing organisation for the regularoperations of the Council.

Recent Activities

CCICED Policy Recommendations are reported in writing to the State Council, relevant government departments and local governments as a reference for decision-making. ‘Several hundred Chinese and international experts have taken part in those research activities and put forward a range of important policy recommendations, many of which have been adopted by the Chinese government’.

CCICED establishes Task Forces and Special Policy Studies that work on key issues and put forward policy recommendations. It holds an Annual General Meeting.

CCICED ‘extensively disseminates its outcomes by such activities as roundtable meeting and establishment of partnerships’.

CCICED facilitated a round table meeting on May 9-10 2014 under the theme of “Green Transformation and Institutional Innovation in Investment, Trade and Consumption”.The meeting intended to discuss major issues in promoting green transformation and the institutional innovation for green development, and provide a platform for dialogue and exchange between policymakers, experts and scholars from China and International side. The event brought together CCICED members, co-chairs of CCICED policy study projects; officials from the central and local governments; representatives from the APEC economies and the Secretariat, United Nations Environment Programme, and World Wildlife Fund, international and domestic experts and scholars; senior management of sustainable development from domestic and multinationallarge enterprises, as well as CCICED donors and partners.