The Environment and Climate Change

The Beijing Number 1 Intermediate People's Court tried activist Hu Jia on charges of "inciting subversion of state power" on March 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to a March 18 Radio Free Asia (RFA) article. Hu, who has advocated on behalf of HIV/AIDS patients, environmental issues, and rights defenders such as Chen Guangcheng, pleaded not guilty, according to a March 18 Reuters article.

The State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) issued measures that standardize the disclosure of environmental information by government agencies and enterprises, and provide the public with the right to request government environmental information, according to an April 25, 2007, SEPA press release. SEPA issued the Measures on Open Environmental Information (the Measures) on April 11, and was the first government agency to release its own implementing measures after the State Council issued the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Open Government Information on April 5. Both come into effect on May 1, 2008.

Beijing's bid in 2000 to host the 2008 Olympics promised a "Green Olympics" and the "greatest Olympic Games environmental legacy ever," yet concerns remain over Beijing's transparency and progress toward fulfilling the specific commitments underlying these promises, especially with regard to air quality. In its bid, Beijing promised to achieve objectives in the city's environmental master plan three years ahead of schedule with the completion of 20 major projects by 2007. The projects include infrastructure improvements addressing air and water quality, waste management, and energy, according to Table 1.1 in the 2007 United Nations Environmental Programme's Environmental Review of the Olympics (UNEP report).