The environmental non-government organizations, or NGOs, have become a driving force in the improvement of environmental protection in China and around the globe.

With the help of the State Environment Protection Administration (SEPA) and the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the All-China Environment Federation (ACEF) carried out a nationwide survey on the current status of China's environmental NGOs for the first time during July to December 2005, in order to gain a clearer understanding of the sector's condition and enhance the sound development of environmental NGOs.

Upon the approval of SEPA and the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the All-China Environment Federation sent more than 6,000 survey letters to Environment Protection Bureaus and Civil Administrations at and above the county level, while sending more than 8,700 questionnaires to related entities twice.

The federation conducted 1,300- hours of research on the Internet, consulted over 200 experts from NGOs and interviewed 20 typical NGOs. A total of 843 questionnaires, over 2,300 pieces of Internet information and 20 case reports have consequently been collected.

Through the questionnaires, interviews, consultation, interaction on the Internet, and modelling analysis, the survey uncovers the basic situation, status and functions of environmental NGOs, analyzes the current problems and development trends and then puts forward the recommendations on promoting the sound development of the sector.

NGO is an internationally acknowledged title and is defined as a volunteer and non-profit non-governmental organization.

Environmental NGOs, which are non-profit groups and do not have administrative powers, pursue the spirit of environmental protection and provide social environmental services for society.

The first National Conference on Environmental Protection was held in 1973, marking the beginning of the environmental protection cause in China.

In May 1978, the Chinese Society of Environmental Sciences was established.

As China's first NGO, this organization played an active role in improving non-governmental communication and research of environmental sciences.

In 1991, the Saunders' Gull Protection Association of Panjin, in Liaoning Province, was founded; in 1994, Friend of Nature was founded in Beijing.

Later on, other environmental NGOs were founded one after another. This period was considered as the birth and uprising phase of China's environmental NGOs.

In 1995, environmental NGOs launched an activity to protect the Yunnan golden monkey and Tibetan antelope, which signalled the first climax of development of environmental NGOs in China.

During this period, environmental NGOs, beginning from biology conservation, which attracted much attention from the public, launched a series of publicity activities to set up a good public image for the organizations.

In 1999, the Beijing Global Village, in co-operation with the Beijing municipal government, carried out the pilot work of the "green community" successfully.

From then on, environmental NGOs began to enter cities, communities, extended the protection work into grass-root levels and were gradually understood and accepted by the public. China's environmental NGOs entered the developmental phase.

Many environmental NGOs then began to unite and take joint action to protect environment and ecology and to achieve environmental development goals.

They launched various initiatives such as "Disputes of Hydroelectricity of Nujiang River" and "Setting Your Air-Conditioners at 26C" in 2003 and 2005. China's environmental NGOs have evolved from taking single actions into co-ordination and co-operation.

Their fields of activities have also expanded from environmental publicity and protecting particular species to a variety of fields such as public participation, offering suggestions on the development of the cause, developing social supervision and maintaining the environmental rights and interests of the public.

In other words, China's environmental NGOs have entered the growth stage.

With the proposition of a scientific development concept and the setting of the target to establish a harmonious society, as well as the convocation of the sixth National Conference on Environmental Protection this year, the concept of environmental protection and the implementation of sustainable development have taken root in people's hearts, and the undertaking of environmental protection has entered a flourishing period.

As a component in establishing a harmonious and environmentally friendly society, China's environmental NGOs will step into a new developing stage.

The article is an excerpt from the China Environment NGO Blue Paper published by the All-China Environment Federation. For more information about the survey, please contact 86-10-51230017.

(China Daily 08/14/2006 page8)