The Role of China’s Five-Year Plans in its Environmental Governance

As Director for China, Dimitri is the legal representative in the country, accountable for all of ClientEarth’s programmes and operations. Dimitri is one of China’s most prominent environmental cooperation experts. He co-founded the China office in 2016, after leading the EU – China Environmental Governance Programme, a flagship EU-funded project which promoted access to information, public participation, and access to justice, embedded in China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment. Dimitri is also a special advisor to the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), and actively engages with China’s Supreme People’s Court and Supreme People’s Procuratorate.

Before joining ClientEarth, Dimitri worked for 12 years as senior adviser on environment and climate change for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization in China. He also worked as consultant for the World Bank, European Union, and the Chinese government, living and working in Beijing since 2002.

Dimitri studied Chinese language in Beijing, speaks good Thai, and holds a Masters of Business Administration with Distinction from Edinburgh Business School. He has been awarded a special foreign expert permit by the Chinese government for outstanding contributions to environmental protection.