President Xi Jinping's plan to establish an "ecological civilization" is among the best blueprints for green governance, according to James Thornton, a UK-based environmental lawyer and activist.

New data suggests global climate change is increasing at unprecedented rates.

According to a World Meteorological Organization report published on Monday, the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere surged last year at the highest rate in 800,000 years, driven by human activity and drought.