Dr. Mingde Cao was recently awarded his doctoral (SJD) degree in Environmental Law by the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. He was also presented with the Françoise Burhenne-Guilmin Award for Merit. He received this honor due to the excellence of his thesis, “A Comparative Study of Carbon Emission Reduction Systems.” Dean Emeritus Richard Ottinger notes that “Mingde’s thesis incorporated original research methods and was extremely thorough and insightful.” After the defense of his thesis, the Law School’s SJD Faculty Committee conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Juridical Sciences and he was officially welcomed as an alumnus.
Currently, Professor Cao is an environmental law professor at the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL). As a leading China environmental scholar, he participated in the drafting of the revised the major 2014 amendment of China’s Environmental Protection Law. He noted that this law was a major advancement in China’s legal efforts to promote environmental protection.
Professor Cao was a recipient of the China Law Society Award to the Ten Most Distinguished Law Professors in 2006. He has made significant scientific contributions through his research and publications throughout his career, specifically focused on carbon emissions, the environment, the ecological system, climate protection, protecting wildlife, climate change, and more. He has published three books, two textbooks, and over 100 academic pieces.
Before completing his SJD degree at Pace, Professor Cao was a visiting scholar at the Law School from 2005-2006. He was also a visiting scholar at Faculty of Law University of British Columbia, and received his LLM from Vermont Law School. He was the Vice President of the China Association of Environmental Resources Law Research, Vice President of the Environmental Law Branch of the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences, Director of Climate Change and Natural Resources Law Research Center of CUPL, and a legal expert of All China Environment Federation (ACEF).
Professor Cao notes that, “My studies during the course of obtaining my SJD at Pace Law were extremely interesting and valuable. What I learned at Pace will contribute immensely to my current and future research and advocacy in favor of environmental law.”