Documentary shows public's power in environmental issues

A documentary entitled "Journey in Guizhou, EU-China Environmental Governance Program in Guizhou", was released to narrate the progress of public participation in environmental issues in southwest China's Guizhou Province during the past three years.

This 36-minute long film consists of three chapters. One is called "The environmental management in Xiaohuang Village", telling a story how farmers in a small village stopped industrial pollution and began self-governance on garbage classification. Also, urban public participation and judicial safeguarding of environmental rights were discussed in this documentary.

The EU-China Environmental Governance Program (EGP) is an initiative within the field of China’s environmental governance funded by the EU, with the aim to promote environmental protection and sustainable development by strengthening government functions in the field of environmental protection, public participation and corporate responsibility.

As one of the 15 regional partnerships of EU-China Environmental Governance Program, Guizhou Project, which aims to promote Guizhou’s environmental justice and protect public environmental rights, was launched in Guizhou Province in November of 2012 and was joined by many domestic and foreign experts.

The project has actively introduced EU experiences and applying them in accordance with China’s national conditions. Workshops and Case Studies on Environment Damage Assessment have been held, which could provide technical support for the further development of Guizhou’s environment damage assessment institutions of the same kind.

"We are sowing the seeds for change, and then it’s up to China to put on the water and fertilized, and to make the plant grow," said Richard Hardiman, Communication Expert of EU-China Environment Governance Program.