Laura Clarke, CEO of ClientEarth, reflects on the 2025 CCICED AGM, CCICED’s unique role in advancing evidence-based green policies in China, ClientEarth’s objectives for the region and beyond in 2026, and the importance of legal reforms for China to deliver on its climate and environmental goals.
Key takeaways:
-
-
- Judicial Precedent for Carbon Goals: China’s “Supreme People’s Procuratorate” is using “typical cases” to standardize how law enforcement handles carbon emissions violations.
- Enforcing Carbon Peaking: Legal mechanisms are increasingly being used across China to ensure local governments and industries adhere to national carbon peaking timelines.
- Law and Policy Alignment: These cases demonstrate how China’s judicial system is being aligned with the “Beautiful China” policy framework.
-
Looking back at last month’s AGM, what were your key impressions from the event—were there particular sessions, themes, or discussions that stood out for you?
I found it very energizing and inspiring! ClientEarth has been a partner of CCICED since 2016, but this was my first AGM since becoming a council member this year.
I was struck throughout by the commitment to shared learning, and by the depth and breadth of expertise—with granular input on everything from supply chains to adaptation, the circular economy, grid capacity, and much else besides.
I spoke at the session on Land–Sea Coordination, focusing on the importance of protecting our ocean and marine biodiversity. Halting and reversing the decline in marine biodiversity has been agreed in the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, under China’s presidency, as well as through various other agreements such as Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdictions.
But overexploitation of fish stocks continues and presents major risks, including a direct food security challenge. According to FAO’s 2025 report, over the past five decades, the proportion of global fishery resources used sustainably has declined from 90% to 64.5%. Aquaculture, seen by some as a solution to overfishing, is actually closely linked to it, since many farmed species still rely on wild-caught fish for feed. As a result, aquaculture adds further strain to marine stocks that are already under pressure from ocean warming, acidification, and pollution. As a major maritime nation and a champion of enhanced global environmental governance, China’s leadership in reversing these trends is essential.
Our team at ClientEarth will be actively following up on this, with our very capable experts willing to join in the special policy study on oceans.
More broadly, how, in your view, can CCICED best contribute to climate and environmental progress in China?
CCICED has advised the Chinese government for the past 33 years, and many of its recommendations have been translated into action. China has made tremendous progress in managing environmental and climate challenges, and this year’s AGM felt like a moment to reflect on that and to celebrate.
But at the same time, there is still much work to be done. For China and other developing countries, a wide range of environmental problems must be addressed in parallel—even while ensuring economic growth and improved livelihoods for the population.
I firmly believe in the power of dialogue and cooperation. By bringing together the best expertise from around the world and within China, we can jointly develop the most effective approaches and solutions and help ensure that all key issues receive the attention they deserve.
Some issues have been flagged in past years by international advisors—such as gender, adaptation, and a just transition—and it’s really impressive to see that they are now becoming real priorities for the Chinese side.
“One of our top global priorities is to encourage all countries—including China—to urgently develop effective climate laws and apply their legal systems to address climate change.”
How does ClientEarth see its role evolving within CCICED, and what motivates ClientEarth to engage with its work?
We consider CCICED to be the most impactful platform for engagement with the Chinese authorities. It is also an excellent place to meet other top environmental advisors, learn from each other, and better understand key challenges and priorities.
Our China team, led by Dimitri de Boer, and our founder, James Thornton, have participated in CCICED’s work even before we established our China office.
In fact, it was thanks to CCICED that they first met in the summer of 2014. This happened in Brussels, where James spoke to a CCICED task force studying environmental rule of law about how ClientEarth uses the power of law—and environmental public interest litigation—to ensure the effective implementation of environmental laws in Europe. He left a deep impression on the delegation, and that is how the idea of creating a ClientEarth office in China first began.
In 2015, China’s new Environmental Protection Law came into effect, and the environmental rule of law has since become the backbone of China’s environmental governance. Over the past 10 years, China’s environmental laws have been completely revamped, and environmental public interest litigation by prosecutors and NGOs [non-governmental organizations] has become a key feature of the system.
Our role has evolved along with the Council. We have provided recommendations on how to use the power of law within China and, in recent years, on issues relating to overseas investment and trade. Along with several partners, we contributed to the research underpinning the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition’s guidance for greening Belt and Road Initiative projects and the decision to stop building overseas coal-fired power plants. That was a hugely important decision: it prevented many new coal plants from being built and gave a significant boost to renewable energy and global confidence in the climate transition.
Specifically, what are your expectations and suggestions for CCICED’s next research phase (Phase VIII), covering 2027–2031, and how is ClientEarth looking to contribute?
CCICED is a truly unique and valuable platform. First and foremost, we hope it can continue conducting the high-level policy research for which it is known. In an increasingly polarized world, a platform that fosters trust and mutual understanding can also contribute to objectives beyond the environment, such as peaceful relations and strengthened multilateralism.
We are willing to contribute to the work of the International Chief Advisor Support Team and the Special Policy Study on Oceans. We will also continue to provide thought leadership on using the law for people and planet, contribute articles to the newsletter, and highlight CCICED in other media.
A great deal of work will be needed in the coming years to halt and reverse the loss of marine biodiversity, one of the objectives for 2030 under the GBF [Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework]. We hope to contribute recommendations on strengthening the management of domestic and distant-water fisheries.
We are also glad to see adaptation becoming a priority for CCICED. Much work will also be needed to peak and subsequently reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and we believe the law can and should play a key role in climate mitigation and adaptation in China.
China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) was a major theme of this year’s CCICED AGM, research, and policy recommendations. What would you like to see in the plan, and what are ClientEarth’s objectives for its China engagement in the coming years?
Within China, a key priority should be to extend the rapid progress of the energy transition in a just way. This will require further strengthening grid resilience, accelerating power market reform, and shifting the role of coal and gas toward grid flexibility and meeting peak demand rather than providing baseload power.
Importantly, we hope that the 15th Five-Year Plan will give greater consideration to China’s environmental footprint beyond its borders. China is now a central part of global supply chains and has an opportunity to play a bigger role by working with other countries to address shared environmental challenges, such as global overfishing, deforestation driven by agricultural commodities, and risks associated with mining and smelting supply chains.
As an environmental law charity, we hope to further mainstream law into China’s policy planning—for example, by strengthening climate-related laws and climate governance and enhancing the judiciary’s role in safeguarding China’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals.
We also hope that the 15th Five-Year Plan will focus on strengthening green diplomacy and encouraging the sharing of the benefits of the green economy with other countries. Other countries—especially emerging economies—have an opportunity to partner with Chinese companies, including through inward investment and joint ventures to produce green technologies outside China.
This would boost political support for the green transition in those countries, as they would benefit from high-quality jobs, improved access to advanced technologies, and the ability to leapfrog toward true energy security.
What are ClientEarth’s strategic priorities in the coming years?
We remain focused on using the power of the law. One of our top global priorities is to encourage all countries—including China—to urgently develop effective climate laws and apply their legal systems to address climate change. In recent years, we have advocated for this through CCICED and conducted joint research on the topic with China’s National Climate Strategy Center, as well as the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.
What legal reforms would you encourage China to undertake to strengthen its climate and environmental outcomes?
In the coming years, we believe China has a major opportunity to use the law to achieve its climate goals. The Environmental Code, which is currently being drafted, will include a chapter on green and low-carbon development. The Code is expected to be issued in 2026 and will provide the basis for a dedicated climate change law.
China currently doesn’t have a specific law for climate change, one of the most significant environmental challenges facing the world. A climate change law is important because it would clarify the legal responsibilities of various actors, provide greater predictability for the transition, strengthen the legal foundation for the carbon market, help facilitate a just transition, underpin adaptation and international cooperation, enhance corporate climate disclosure, and much more. Our lawyers at ClientEarth would be delighted to cooperate with CCICED on this.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of CCICED.