The Eighth Environmental Education Workshop among China, Japan and Korea was held between Oct. 25 and Oct. 26 in Beijing. Environmental education experts from the three countries gathered together to share their experience in the field. SEPA Vice Minister Li Ganjie attended the opening ceremony and noted that the ultimate driving force to solve environmental problems lies in public and to mitigate climate change also needs extensive public participation. To protect the environment is the responsibility and obligation of all the people.

Minister Li pointed out that environmental protection is the cause for the nation as a whole and environmental education is an important means to achieve success. To promote the significance of energy conservation and emission reduction, environmental protection and mitigation of climate change, NDRC, Publicity Department, CCCPC, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology and SEPA, altogether 17 state departments jointly launched a campaign for concerted efforts to conserve energy and reduce emissions. They called on the public to start action at once, do their own part for a bit of everything. 

Tripartite environmental education network is an important result of the tripartite environmental ministerial meeting of China, Japan and Korea launched in 1999. Since its operation in 2000, the three countries have established a platform for exchange through joint efforts, which has promoted regional cooperation in environmental education and played an active role in addressing the common environmental issues faced by China, Japan and Korea as well as in promoting regional sustainable development. As one of the outcomes of tripartite environmental ministerial meeting, this program has drawn attention from the environmental ministers of the three countries.