A herd of cows grazes the grass in the shade of solar panels. (Photo/Xinhua)
The Ecological and Environmental Code of the People’s Republic of China was adopted at the Fourth Session of the 14th National People’s Congress on March 12. It is the country’s second law to be titled a “code,” following the Civil Code, and is the first comprehensive ecological and environmental code of its kind in the world.
Previously, the ecological and environmental sector was governed by over 30 separate laws and more than 100 administrative regulations, often in isolation. The new code achieves the integration and establishes a more comprehensive responsibility framework, specifically addressing key challenges in law enforcement.
Due to differences in the timing of the formulation and implementation of the older laws, as well as of their revisions, previous legislation suffered from weak systematization, content overlap, gaps, and even contradictions. The compilation of this code helps resolve such legislative conflicts.
Zhao Ke, Director of the Regulations and Standards Department at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said: "After integration, law enforcement officers can directly refer to a single applicable clause, enabling them to effectively address current environmental issues."
Till now, no specific law exists in the field of climate change response. Establishing an independent section within the code moves forward the "dual carbon" goals and climate response measures from policy objectives to binding legal provisions. This ensures the green transition in key areas such as industry, energy, and consumption, responding to growing public demand for sustainable development.
Wang Canfa, Professor at China University of Political Science and Law: "Green and low-carbon development is the fundamental solution to China's ecological and environmental problems. By establishing green and low-carbon development as an independent section, the Ecological and Environmental Code expands the scope of governance from end-of-pipe pollution control to society-wide production and consumption. Promoting changes in production and consumption patterns through the rule of law prevents ecological and environmental issues at their source."
Experts note that the code specifies concrete measures to strengthen accountability and supervision. This includes explicitly granting county-level ecological environment branches independent law enforcement authority.
The code also introduces penalty provisions for new types of violations. Legal liabilities are now stipulated for actions such as constructing non-compliant projects, introducing alien species without authorization, and illegally using outdated dismantling.
Penalties for severe environmental pollution have been significantly increased. For example, under the current law on the prevention and control of radioactive pollution, discharging radioactive waste gas or liquids prohibited from release incurs a fine ranging from 100,000 Yuan (about 14550 U.S. dollars) to 200,000 Yuan. The Ecological and Environmental Code, however, stipulates a fine of 200,000 to 2 million Yuan.
Furthermore, severe penalties, including substantial fines, confiscation of illegal gains, and industry bans, are stipulated for fraudulent activities by environmental impact assessment and monitoring agencies. Falsifiers will pay a heavy price.
In April 2025, the draft of the Ecological and Environmental Code was submitted for its initial deliberation to the 15th Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress. Following reviews, the draft code was submitted to the Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress for deliberation on March 5 this year.
During this year's Two Sessions, deputies and members conducted meticulous deliberations and heated discussions on the draft. Based on review opinions, over 200 modifications were made, including more than 100 substantive changes.