Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 9, 2024

The Spatial Expansion and Rule Innovation of China’s Ecological and Environmental Rule of Law

(Abstract)

Liu Chao

China’s current ecological and environmental law system, which follows a reductionist methodology by legislating separately for different environmental elements, struggles to embody the civilizational ideals of a “Beautiful China.” There is an urgent need for a spatial expansion of China’s ecological environment rule of law. The theoretical foundation for this expansion integrates communitarianism with reductionist and holistic methodologies. In terms of adjustment of objectives, specialized regulations should be developed for various types of environmental spaces and the legal framework should address large-scale spatial environmental issues. Systematic innovations within the Ecological Environment Code should encompass specific rules that cater to the object of regulation, coordination rules that address different operational contexts, and integrative rules that bridge spatial dimensions. These innovations will meet the demands of expanding the spatial scope of China’s ecological environment rule of law.