The System of Environmental Information Release

This system requires the government, enterprises and other social entities to make public their actions related to the environment, so that the public can participate in and guarantee protection.

China began to implement its first document on environmental information release in May 2008. This provided regulations for information release by environmental departments and enterprises, ensured the rights of citizens, legal persons and other organizations to access environmental information, and offered legal support for public participation in environmental protection.

In addition to information about the environmental quality, government departments and enterprises are also required to make public their environmental actions, so that the public can be aware of, participate in, and supervise such actions. This will ensure their right to be informed, and encourage all sectors to participate in environmental protection and thus ensure government departments perform their lawful responsibilities for better environmental governance.

環境信息公開制度

環境信息公開制度，即依據和尊重公眾知情權，政府和企業以及其他社會行為主體向公眾通報和公開各自的環境行為以利于公眾參與和監督。2008年5月開始施行的《環境信息公開辦法（試行）》是中國首部關于環境信息公開制度的部門規章制度，為推進和規范環保部門以及企業公開環境信息，維護公民、法人和其他組織獲取環境信息的權益，推動公眾參與環境保護提供了法律法規依據。

這一制度既要求公開環境質量信息，也要求公開政府和企業的環境行為，為公眾了解、參與、監督環保工作提供前提條件，有利于保障公民環境知情權，促進社會各方參與環境保護，監督政府履行法定義務，實現良好環境治理。