Impact and future

Dimitri de Boer, chief China representative of the environmental law organization ClientEarth and also a special adviser to the CCICED, said the council is unique.

He has "never come across any organization that is as impactful in terms of environment and development issues", he said.

"Developed countries don't have these kinds of things because they think they know it all. They don't think China can teach them very much."

He added that he has found that the CCICED increasingly plays a role in helping China communicate its environmental policies to other countries.

Through the council, other countries will actually learn about, make reference to and even use China's environmental policies themselves, according to De Boer.

"It's not really happening yet, but I think it will－maybe in another five to 10 years," he said.