Environmental protection should be personal right

The existing laws in China regarding environment and resources have few articles referencing citizen’s rights, which prevents people from invoking these laws to defending their rights in the event that they are affected by pollution and ecological damage, said Lü Zhongmei, a member of the 12th National People’s Congress of China and a professor of environmental law. The right to demand environmental protection is essential to establishing rule of law in environmental protection. Only when this right is granted to people, can it be clearly stated in legislation that when a citizen’s right to environmental protection conflicts with economic development, environmental protection takes precedence, Lü suggested.