In the "Journal of Chongqing University (Social Science Edition)" 5th Issue of 2024, Peng Zhongyao discusses the current state of China's environmental governance, which has evolved into a model of "coexistence of diverse norms and collaborative governance of multiple orders." However, he observes that in practice, this pluralistic normative system and multi-order structure have led to conflicts and discord, particularly noticeable in the realm of environmental administrative penalties. Peng argues for an elevation from "pragmatic reasoning" to "legal rationale," aiming to uncover the underlying general principles and pervasive contradictions (i.e., the interplay among various norms within the environmental governance system).
For the future, Peng suggests that China should build upon theories and methods that foster synergy among diverse norms. The focus should be on refining the review and filing mechanisms for normative documents in the ecological and environmental sectors. Additionally, it is crucial to establish a comprehensive coordination mechanism between the CPC's policies and national laws within the ecological environment domain. Peng also advocates for using the compilation of an environmental code as an opportunity to affirm the rules governing the interrelationships among pluralistic norms.