Sustainable Development and Chinese Environmental Law Reform: Theory on the Integrated Environmental Law in China

It should be the first of all influences to Chinese environmental law from introducing the sustainable development to China that the current basic theory of Chinese environmental law is too narrow minded to lead Chinese environmental law to sustainability.Currently narrow minded environmental law just focus on pollution control and natural conservation.This paper points out that it is a big limitation within that exploitation, utilization and management of natural resources have been always excluded by Chinese environmental law.This paper first argues that current Chinese environmental law should be re positioned in the broader context of environment and the principle of sustainable development. It would then be appropriated to develop this to the high level of integrated environmental law in combination with natural resource law.The paper also explores the legal concept of integrated environmental law.It is proposed that integrated environmental law should cover three main areas:pollution control,natural resources, and ecology conservation. This theory of integrated environmental law will provide a rational basis for Chinese environmental regulation and legislation.