State Council issues guideline on fiscal duties in ecological environment

The State Council released a reform guideline on the allocation of duties of central and local finance in ecological environment.

According to the guideline, national and cross-regional ecological environment planning, and that of key drainage basins, sea areas, and key areas with huge influence, as well as the national plan formulation to tackle climate change, are the responsibility of central finance, which should undertake expenditures in these areas.

Local finance should assume responsibilities in ecological environment monitoring, law enforcement, inspection, and supervision at the local level, covering expenditures in these areas.

Dealing with cross-border water contamination will rest on the fiscal authority of the central government.

Prevention and control of radioactive pollution, air pollution in influential regions and water pollution in major regions including the drainage areas of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers is the shared responsibility of central and regional finance.

Prevention and control of soil contamination, agricultural and rural pollution, solid waste pollution, chemical pollution, groundwater pollution and regional air and water pollution are defined as the responsibility of regional finance.