BEIJING: Environmental impact assessments for 47,800 projects were greenlighted across the country in the first half of this year, as the Ministry of Ecology and Environment intensified its endeavors to help maintain stable macroeconomic performance, an environmental official said.
Liu Zhiquan, head of environmental impact assessment and emission management at the ministry, also said planned investment in these projects totals over 8.4 trillion yuan ($1.24 trillion), up by 28.9 percent compared with the same period last year.
The increase is the result of a series of measures taken by the ministry to enhance the efficiency in the examination and approval processes, especially for major projects, he noted at a news conference on Thursday.
In June, the ministry published a notification on better serving environmental impact assessments for major projects, urging environmental authorities of different levels to offer support, he continued. The ministry, for example, made a list of all those major projects, he said. Aside from simplifying the procedures for compiling the assessment documents for them, it also mobilized experts to help with the drafting work. Liu noted the great importance the ministry has attached to coal production, water conservancy, oil and gas pipelines, and railways as key sectors. “With service support mechanisms established for environmental impact assessments in some key sectors, the ministry opened green channels for projects that meet requirements on ecological and environmental protection,” he said.
–The Daily Mail-CGTN news exchange item
