Any activity to maintain or restore the quality of the environment. For example, it could involve redesigning a project to prevent the emission of pollutants or to reduce the presence of polluting substances in the environment.
The Chinese Government prioritizes environmental prevention, comprehensive management, public participation, and responsibility for damage. Per the “Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China,” “environment” refers to natural and artificially modified natural factors affecting human survival and development, including the atmosphere, water, ocean, land, mineral deposits, forests, grasslands, wetlands, wildlife, natural relics, cultural relics, nature reserves, scenic spots, cities, and the countryside.
Adapted from Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) (now Ministry of Environment and Ecology (MEE)), “Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China (Chinese and English Text) | Congressional-Executive Commission on China,” 2009, View the Website; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), “OECD Glossary of Statistical Terms - Environmental Protection Definition,” 2003, View the Website.