Editing Ministry of Ecology and Environment (section)

==Role==
According to regulations concerning the Ministry, the MEE is responsible for protecting, regulating, and monitoring the environment, as well as enforcing environmental policies.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=11 September 2018 |title=生态环境部职能配置、内设机构和人员编制规定 |trans-title=Regulations on the functional configuration, internal structure and staffing of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment |url=https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/2018-09/11/content_5320982.htm |access-date=4 October 2023 |website=[[State Council of the People's Republic of China]]}}</ref> It is responsible for pollution control, conserving the ecosystem, formulating environmental standards, conducting environmental impact assessments, environmental protection inspections, addressing climate change, supervising emissions reduction targets, supervising nuclear safety, as well as international environmental cooperation.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":022">{{Cite web |title=Decoding Chinese Politics |url=https://asiasociety.org/policy-institute/decoding-chinese-politics |access-date=2 October 2023 |website=[[Asia Society]]}}</ref> It also has jurisdiction over China's [[nuclear safety]] agency.<ref>[http://english.sepa.gov.cn/xztz/jgzn/gszn/200405/t20040513_50000.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070503041607/http://english.sepa.gov.cn/xztz/jgzn/gszn/200405/t20040513_50000.htm|date=2007-05-03}}</ref>

MEE regulates water quality, ambient air quality, solid waste, soil, noise, radioactivity. In the area of R&D activities, MEE's predecessor MEP has funded a series of "Key Laboratories" in different parts of the country, including: Laboratory for Urban Air Particles Pollution Prevention and Control for Environmental Protection, Laboratory on Environment and Health, Laboratory on [[Industrial ecology|Industrial Ecology]], Laboratory on Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Recovery, and Laboratory on Biosafety.<ref name="english.sepa.gov.cn">[http://english.sepa.gov.cn/kjbz/index.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008042847/http://english.sepa.gov.cn/kjbz/index.htm|date=October 8, 2007}}</ref>

In addition, MEE also administers engineering and technical research centers related to environmental protection, including: Center for Non-ferrous Metal Industrial Pollution Control, Center for Clean Coal and Ecological Recovery of Mines, Center for Industrial Waste Water Pollution Control, Center for Industrial [[Flue gas|Flue Gas]] Control, Center for [[Hazardous Waste]] Treatment, and Center for [[Municipal solid waste|Solid Waste]] Treatment and Disposal of Mines.<ref name="english.sepa.gov.cn" />

China is experiencing an increase in environmental complaints: In 2005, there were 51,000 disputes over environmental pollution, according to SEPA minister Zhou Shengxian. From 2001 to 2005, Chinese environmental authorities received more than 2.53 million letters and 430,000 visits by 597,000 petitioners seeking environmental redress.<ref>{{cite web |title=Environmental protection in China: the role of law &#124; Alex Wang |date=5 February 2007 |url=http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/745-Environmental-protection-in-China-the-role-of-law |access-date=2013-02-12 |publisher=China Dialogue}}</ref>