A symposium on implementing the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" and strengthening comprehensive judicial protection of the environment was held by video links in all national courts on Sept 9.

Zhou Qiang, president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), attended the meeting and called for implementing the concept and giving full play to courts' role of judicial adjudication to strengthen judicial protection for the environment and to offer potent judicial services and guarantees for ecological civilization construction in the new era, high-quality economic development and Beautiful China building.

The symposium on implementing the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" and strengthening comprehensive judicial environmental protections is held via video link on Sept 9.[Photo/court.gov.cn]

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the concept first put forward.

Zhou said that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" is an important development concept and a major principle for advancing modernization. It points out a new path for harmonious co-existence of development and environmental protection, and has great and far-reaching significance.

In recent years, courts at all levels have conscientiously studied and implemented ecological civilization thinking, thoroughly implemented the concept, and continuously improved the level of judicial specialization in environmental matters.

The trial mechanism keeps improving, as well as the rules of the adjudication system. The researches in the field has continued to deepen. The quality of the workforce has been significantly improved, and environmental resources adjudication has achieved new development.

Efforts should be made to summarize work experience and results, effectively enhance the sense of responsibility, fix shortcomings and promote trial work involving environmental resources to a new level.

Zhou added that the courts should give full play to the role of adjudication, properly handle various environmental resource cases, and create a sound legal environment for the promotion of ecological civilization.

It is necessary to grasp the basic requirements of the concept, adhere to the overall national security principle, and earnestly maintain national ecological security, biosecurity and public health security, said Zhou.

Zhou urged courts to follow the people-centered development principle, use their judicial functions to protect people's right to survive and develop in a healthy, comfortable, and beautiful ecological environment and to effectively ensure people's environmental rights and interests.

Courts should adhere to the strictest rule of law, perform duties, and serve in the battle against pollution.

He asked the courts to integrate into the modern environmental governance system that involves government leadership, corporate responsibility, social organization and public participation to better serve the national and regional development strategy.

The courts should strengthen self-improvement and strive to raise judicial environmental protection in the new era to a new level. They should thoroughly study and implement thinking centered on ecological civilization, earnestly implement the requirements of the central government, and apply the concept in environmental resource trials, said Zhou.

In addition, courts should take the specialization of environmental justice as the main focus, with reform and innovation as the driving force and smart courts and strong teams as the guarantee, comprehensively strengthen the judicial protection system and its mechanisms and build an environmental resource adjudication system with Chinese characteristics and international influence.

Zhou emphasized that courts should strengthen system building, continue to reform and innovate, build a mature, scientific and systematic adjudication rule system and further modernize the environmental resource adjudication system and its capabilities.

Close attention should be paid to talent training in order to forge a loyal, clean and responsible high-quality professional trial team.

It is necessary to deepen international judicial exchanges and cooperation, actively participate in global environmental governance, and tell the story of the rule of law in China's ecological environment, said Zhou.