Digital Technologies in Ecological Legal Regulation and Environmental Protection Management in China: Advantages and Risks
Abstract
The intensive introduction of digital technologies in contemporary China, that has declared its goals and objectives of promoting an ecological civilization in the country, has brought about significant changes in the processes of ecological legal regulation and environmental management. This has made it relevant to analyze the advantages and risks of the digitalization of ecological legal relations in this country. The purpose of this study is to analyze the current state of the application of digital technologies in ecological legal regulation and environmental management in the People’s Republic of China, identify the associated risks, and propose ways to adapt to the advantages and risks of the digital era. The research methodology was based on the use of dialectical and systemic general scientific methods, as well as special methods of formal legal and comparative legal analysis. To achieve the research goal, the conceptual basis of ecological legal regulation and environmental management in the context of digital development is consistently revealed; a general assessment of the current advantages and risks of using digital technologies in ecological legal regulation and environmental management is provided; the issues of regulating relationship between traditional ecological legal regulation and the technological regulatory system that maintaines it are raised; and the main risks associated with the use of digital technologies in environmental management in China are identified. Special attention is paid to the application of the basic principles of ecological law, taking into account the technological support for ecological development (precaution, cost-benefit analysis, availability of ecological information, etc.), the implementation of sustainable development and ESG concepts, ensuring the reliability and accessibility of data, introducing legal restrictions on “technological power,” minimizing algorithmic errors, and finding a balance between the sustainability and flexibility of the ecological legal regulation and management system in the context of the country’s technological development. The main conclusion is that the future of ecological legal regulation and environmental protection management in China should be based on a dynamic legal system that can integrate technological advancements, minimize associated risks and challenges, and ultimately ensure the ecological well-being of the population.
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