Why Is China Appointing Judges to Combat Climate Change? | James K. Thornton | TED Countdown

Summary

In this speech, the founder of ClientEarth discusses China's unexpected leadership in environmental reform. He highlights the collaborative efforts with Chinese officials to train judges and prosecutors, enabling them to enforce environmental laws effectively. Notable achievements include China adopting ClientEarth's recommendations, initiating 80,000 environmental cases in a year, and President Xi Jinping's pledge to cease funding coal-fired power plants abroad. These systemic changes illustrate China's growing commitment to environmental improvement, offering a hopeful perspective on the nation's future.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Imagine a world where China is an environmental leader.
• 🌱 ClientEarth, an environmental law organization, works closely with the Chinese Ministry of Environment and trains judges and prosecutors in environmental prosecutions.
• 👨‍⚖️ China has introduced a revolutionary law allowing environmental NGOs to sue polluting companies, including state-owned ones.
• 💼 ClientEarth's recommendations, including cost provisions for environmental litigation, were accepted by the Chinese Supreme Court.
• 👩‍⚖️ China has appointed thousands of specialist environment court judges to handle environmental cases.
• 📚 ClientEarth has trained over 1,500 environment court judges and 1,200 prosecutors in environmental litigation.
• 📨 In 2020 alone, over 80,000 environmental cases were brought in China, many against government departments.
• 🔥 China is working to reduce coal usage and has stopped funding and building coal-fired power stations outside China.
• 🏦 China's largest banks and financial institutions now recognize coal as a bad investment.
• 🌟 China’s environmental efforts, including systemic changes and enhanced powers for the Ministry of Environment, provide reasons for hope and significant progress towards environmental improvement.

Q & A

What is the main message of the speaker's talk?

The main message of the speaker's talk is to highlight China's leadership in environmental initiatives and the systemic changes they are making to improve environmental standards.

Who is the speaker and what organization did they set up?

The speaker is James Thornton, and he set up ClientEarth, an environmental law organization.

What significant collaboration did ClientEarth have with the Chinese government?

ClientEarth collaborated with the Chinese Ministry of Environment, the Supreme People's Court, and other officials to help design and implement laws that allow Chinese environmental NGOs to sue polluting companies.

What key recommendation did ClientEarth make regarding environmental litigation costs?

ClientEarth recommended that when Chinese environmental groups win a case, all their costs should be paid by the polluters, but when they lose, they should not have to pay the polluters’ costs.

How many environmental court judges has China appointed, and why is this significant?

China has appointed over 1,000 environmental court judges, which is significant because it ensures that environmental cases are handled by specialists, thus raising the quality of the rule of law for the environment in China.

What unique training request did the Chinese prosecutors make to ClientEarth?

The Chinese prosecutors asked ClientEarth to train them on how to sue the Chinese government for environmental matters, as they had never had the right to sue the government before.

How has ClientEarth’s collaboration impacted environmental litigation in China?

ClientEarth’s collaboration has resulted in the training of over 1,500 environmental judges and over 1,200 prosecutors. In 2020 alone, the prosecutors brought over 80,000 environmental cases, many against government departments.

What recent government audit finding could aid environmental enforcement in China?

A recent government audit found that many new coal-fired power stations were authorized illegally by provincial officials, making them a perfect target for enforcement actions.

What commitment did President Xi Jinping make at the UN General Assembly regarding coal?

President Xi Jinping announced that China would not fund or build any more coal-fired power stations outside of China.

What hopeful prediction does the speaker make about China's emissions?

The speaker predicts that China's emissions will hit their peaking plateau soon and then will seriously decline before 2030.