<P> The Department of the Environment Act establishes the Department of the Environment in the Canadian government as well as the position Minister of the Environment . Their duties include "the preservation and enhancement of the quality of the natural environment, including water, air and soil quality; renewable resources, including migratory birds and other non-domestic flora and fauna; water; meteorology;" The Environmental Protection Act is the main piece of Canadian environmental legislation that was put into place March 31, 2000 . The Act focuses on "respecting pollution prevention and the protection of the environment and human health in order to contribute to sustainable development ." Other principle federal statutes include the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, and the Species at Risk Act . When provincial and federal legislation are in conflict federal legislation takes precedence, that being said individual provinces can have their own legislation such as Ontario's Environmental Bill of Rights, and Clean Water Act . </P> <P> According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "China has been working with great determination in recent years to develop, implement, and enforce a solid environmental law framework . Chinese officials face critical challenges in effectively implementing the laws, clarifying the roles of their national and provincial governments, and strengthening the operation of their legal system ." Explosive economic and industrial growth in China has led to significant environmental degradation, and China is currently in the process of developing more stringent legal controls . The harmonization of Chinese society and the natural environment is billed as a rising policy priority . </P> <P> With the enactment of the 2008 Constitution, Ecuador became the first country in the world to codify the Rights of Nature . The Constitution, specifically Articles 10 and 71 - 74, recognizes the inalienable rights of ecosystems to exist and flourish, gives people the authority to petition on the behalf of ecosystems, and requires the government to remedy violations of these rights . The rights approach is a break away from traditional environmental regulatory systems, which regard nature as property and legalize and manage degradation of the environment rather than prevent it . </P> <P> The Rights of Nature articles in Ecuador's constitution are part of a reaction to a combination of political, economic, and social phenomena . Ecuador's abusive past with the oil industry, most famously the class - action litigation against Chevron, and the failure of an extraction - based economy and neoliberal reforms to bring economic prosperity to the region has resulted in the election of a New Leftist regime, led by President Rafael Correa, and sparked a demand for new approaches to development . In conjunction with this need, the principle of "Buen Vivir," or good living--focused on social, environmental and spiritual wealth versus material wealth--gained popularity among citizens and was incorporated into the new constitution . </P>

Implementation of laws protection and conservation of various taxa