Special Report on the Two Sessions | Guided by Law, for a Sustainable Future—The Story Behind the Birth of the Civil Code on Ecological Environment of the People’s Republic of China

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) — Title: Guided by Law, with Verdant Mountains and Endless Waters—The Making of the Ecological and Environmental Code of the People’s Republic of China

  Xinhua News Agency reporters Luo Sha, Gao Jing, and Huang Yao

  This is a milestone moment in the building of a Beautiful China and a China under the rule of law.

  On the afternoon of March 12, 2026, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the Fourth Session of the 14th National People’s Congress adopted by an overwhelming majority the Civil Code on Ecological Environment of the People’s Republic of China.

  This is the second law in China to bear the title “Code,” following the Civil Code. Guided by Xi Jinping’s Thought on Ecological Civilization as its guiding principle and overarching framework, and fully implementing Xi Jinping’s Thought on the Rule of Law, it not only addresses matters of paramount national importance related to ecological civilization but also bears directly on the daily lives of every individual.

  A code, the comprehensive compilation of all laws and the integrated system of institutions.

  This comprehensive legal code is a culmination of more than 30 environmental and ecological laws, over 100 administrative regulations, and more than 1,000 local regulations, thereby laying an even stronger rule-of-law foundation for advancing modernization that fosters harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

  In the name of the Civil Code, we safeguard our splendid land and rivers. With the strictest systems and the most rigorous rule of law, we protect our most beautiful home. The promulgation of the Civil Code on Ecological Environment marks the beginning of an era of “codification” in China’s ecological and environmental protection.

   Establishing a solid legal foundation and advancing toward a new stage in China’s ecological and environmental rule of law.

  The light of ecological civilization illuminates the path toward harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

  Bearing the profound expectations of safeguarding our beautiful homeland, this codex, comprising over 160,000 characters and consisting of 1,242 articles, is divided into five parts: General Provisions, Pollution Prevention and Control, Ecological Protection, Green and Low-Carbon Development, Legal Liability, and Supplementary Provisions.

  A beautiful China is the aspiration of every one of us. Cleaner water, purer air, and a more picturesque environment—these are precisely the goals we all share, and they are what this code, with its warmth, systematic approach, and long-term vision, seeks to address in concrete terms.

  Building an ecological civilization is vital to the well-being of the people and to the future of the nation.

  Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has regarded ecological progress as a fundamental strategic task vital to the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, striving to build a modern society in which humanity and nature coexist in harmony. The endeavor to build a Beautiful China has continued to make new strides, making our home even more beautiful.

  Governing in accordance with the law and by law. The legal system is the foundation and the driving force for safeguarding our green mountains and clear waters. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Protecting the ecological environment must rely on institutions and the rule of law.”

  From the promulgation of the Environmental Protection Law in 1989 to the accelerated pace of legislation and amendment in the field of ecological environment in the new era, China’s legal framework for environmental protection has undergone a comprehensive upgrade, providing robust institutional safeguards for advancing ecological civilization through the rule of law and laying a solid foundation for the codification of environmental law.

  “Governance thrives when laws evolve with the times.” The philosophy that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” has taken deep root, and a green, low-carbon mode of production and lifestyle has become a shared consensus across society… With ecological civilization steadily advancing toward long-term success, now is the opportune moment to compile a civil code.

  Following the promulgation of the Civil Code, General Secretary Xi Jinping stated: “The Civil Code has set an excellent example for the codification of legislation in other fields. We should draw on the experience gained in drafting the Civil Code and, when conditions are ripe, advance the codification of laws in those legislative areas where such efforts are warranted.”

  In July 2024, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee adopted the Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-style Modernization, which explicitly mandated the compilation of an ecological and environmental code.

  From the Civil Code, which places “people” at its core, to the Ecological and Environmental Code, which prioritizes “nature,” a clear and unwavering commitment to safeguarding the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature through the rule of law is readily apparent.

  The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core attaches great importance to the drafting of the Environmental Protection Code, placing it on the central leadership’s key work agenda. To ensure the successful completion of this undertaking, the Party Leadership Group of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress has, on four separate occasions, submitted requests for instructions and reports to the Party Central Committee, providing updates on the overall considerations, work plan, structural framework, and key contents of the Environmental Protection Code drafting process.

  In March 2025, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, heard and deliberated on, and in principle approved, the report submitted by the Party Leadership Group of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress regarding the draft Ecological Environment Code. He also issued important instructions on the codification of the Ecological Environment Code, providing guidance and direction for this endeavor.

  Globally, there is no particularly mature experience in drafting an ecological and environmental code, nor a relatively standardized framework. As China embarks on a pivotal stage of national rejuvenation, what kind of ecological and environmental code does it need?

  Authoritative sources point out that the compilation and promulgation of an ecological and environmental code aims to move from a fragmented approach in which multiple laws operate independently to a systemically integrated framework that consolidates efforts, thereby advancing China’s ecological and environmental governance from its previous model of piecemeal legislation and ad hoc amendments toward a new stage of systematic and modernized governance.

  This code is deeply rooted in Chinese soil and reflects the characteristics of our times—

  Adhering to the vision of a community of life between humanity and nature, it marks a shift from protecting individual components to safeguarding the entire ecological system; respecting natural laws, it underscores that ecological restoration should prioritize natural recovery… The Ecological and Environmental Code is imbued with the Chinese traditional cultural ethos of “harmony and integration” and the principle of “unity of heaven and humanity.”

  Confronting pollution prevention and control in emerging fields such as electromagnetic radiation and light, a dedicated chapter on green and low-carbon development has been established, explicitly committing to active participation in and leadership of global climate governance… Through forward-looking institutional design in the ecological and environmental sphere, we are addressing the challenges of our times.

  “Integrating pollution prevention and control, ecological conservation, and green, low-carbon development into a unified framework not only embodies the principle of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature but also aligns with the concept of sustainable development,” said Lü Zhongmei, Vice Chairperson of the Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee of the National People’s Congress, who participated throughout the codification process.

  This code reflects the will of the people and provides systematic, standardized, and coordinated regulations—

  From addressing environmental issues right at people’s doorsteps, to promoting scientific and precise management of practices such as burning crop residues and fallen leaves, to mandating the careful selection of tree and grass species for greening—these measures safeguard public health and environmental rights, demonstrating both the warmth and the strength of the rule of law.

  “The Code embodies the earnest expectations of grassroots environmental protection professionals and squarely addresses practical needs,” said Li Lili, Chief Engineer at the Water Services Company of Shanxi International Energy Group. She added that the Code fully reflects systems thinking and a spirit of coordination, effectively resolving issues such as difficulty in identifying the proper party to pursue claims and uncertainty about the legal basis for safeguarding rights—problems arising from inadequate alignment among laws and regulations.

  Summarize and distill the common institutional principles enshrined in existing laws, elevate time-tested, proven practices to statutory provisions, and further clarify the legal liabilities and penalty regimes for acts that pollute the environment or damage ecosystems…

  Under the overarching framework of the Ecological and Environmental Code, a legal system for ecological and environmental protection—comprising relevant specialized laws—is being advanced, thereby elevating efforts to safeguard the building of a Beautiful China through the rule of law to an even higher level.

   Pooling wisdom and strength to safeguard the ecological environment.

  The codification of laws is the best reflection of a nation’s legislative sophistication.

  In April 2025, the 15th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress convened in a lively atmosphere. Deputies engaged in spirited discussions, freely expressing their views on the draft Ecological and Environmental Code.

  “In our region, vehicles from neighboring areas have repeatedly dumped waste across administrative boundaries,” said Zhang Jin, a National People’s Congress deputy and chairman of Zhongheng Design Group Co., Ltd., who attended the meeting as an observer. “Such behavior carries low legal costs yet is extremely difficult to address. We hope the Code will impose stricter penalties.”

  Zhang Jin was delighted to see that, within just a few months, the draft Civil Code had already addressed this issue with significant improvements. “With grassroots voices seamlessly incorporated into the Code, I have come to feel more deeply the pulse of high‑quality legislation.”

  Small wisdom governs affairs; great wisdom enacts laws.

  In November 2023, the meeting of the Leading Group for the Codification of Environmental Law was held, marking the official launch of the codification process.

  “Taking into account the ecological and environmental legal system, the current state of theoretical research, and practical experience, the compilation of the Ecological and Environmental Code has adopted a ‘moderate codification’ approach,” said Lü Zhongmei.

  It is neither a mere compilation of laws nor an entirely new, ad hoc enactment; rather, the Ecological and Environmental Code systematically coordinates, integrates, and restructures disparate, fragmented, and heterogeneous legal norms, while also addressing legislative gaps to refine and strengthen key institutional frameworks.

  — The Environmental Protection Law and nine other laws have been comprehensively incorporated into the Civil Code and are no longer retained.

  — Legal norms pertaining to ecological factors, ecosystems, the circular economy, and energy conservation shall, insofar as they are essential and fundamental, be incorporated into or reflected in the code, while the relevant existing laws shall remain in force.

  — It lays down principled and guiding provisions on addressing climate change, achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, and promoting green and low-carbon development.

  This both builds on the experience gained in codifying the Civil Code and introduces methodological innovations tailored to the legal framework for the ecological environment, thereby fully embodying the Chinese wisdom underlying legislation.

  From its debut at a session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress to its submission for deliberation at the 2026 National People’s Congress, over the course of nearly a year the draft has undergone both division and comprehensive review, steadily refined through repeated exchanges of views and the pooling of public opinion, and has grown increasingly mature.

  To illuminate a beautiful home, legislation carefully solicits input from all sectors, addresses shortcomings, leverages strengths, and resolves conflicts.

  Closely monitoring theoretical research findings and practical developments both at home and abroad, conducting in-depth deliberations on the structure of the Code’s chapters, key and difficult issues, and specific institutional arrangements, and organizing deputies to the National People’s Congress to study and discuss these matters—throughout the process of codification, legislation has been deeply rooted in reality and underpinned by thorough investigation and research.

  Following its first reading, the draft Civil Code was made public to solicit public input, with the consultation period extended from the usual 30 days to 45 days. In total, more than 10,000 comments were submitted by over 3,100 individuals.

  “During the drafting process, there were differing views regarding the order of the chapters on pollution prevention and control, ecological conservation, and green, low‑carbon development,” said an official from the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. After careful study and repeated comparisons of various proposals, the final version of the Civil Code places pollution prevention and control immediately after the General Provisions, reflecting a convergence of practical, legislative, and theoretical logic.

  Respect scientific principles and adhere to legislative guidelines. The codification process is rigorous and pragmatic, ensuring that the Ecological Environment Code features a scientifically sound structure, a well‑organized framework, reasonable norms, comprehensive content, and consistent coherence, thereby reflecting a systematic understanding of the underlying principles governing ecological and environmental legislation.

  To illuminate a beautiful home, we are extending the reach of legislation to the grassroots level and listening directly to the most authentic and broadest voices.

  “What other aspects do you think still need to be improved in the draft code?”

  In May 2025, a lively public consultation on legislation was held at Chongqing Vocational College of Electronic Science and Technology. Chinese students, together with international students from multiple countries, engaged in discussions on the draft Ecological Environment Code, and their suggestions were channeled directly to the legislative body through grassroots legislative liaison points.

  Solicit the people’s wisdom and address their needs. By putting into practice the important principle of whole-process people’s democracy, we ensure that the people’s ingenuity is continuously infused into the legal framework for safeguarding a beautiful China.

  The grassroots legislative liaison stations in Anji, Zhejiang, and Nansha, Guangdong, recommended that the list of priority-controlled emerging pollutants be updated as needed, a suggestion that was incorporated into the Civil Code. Meanwhile, some members of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, along with local authorities and relevant departments, put forward proposals on urban and rural greening tree species—issues of public concern—and the codification process promptly responded accordingly…

  Bearing great trust, it is laden with the people’s will.

  During this year’s Two Sessions, deputies and members of the National Committee engaged in careful deliberation and vigorous discussion of the draft Civil Code. Based on the comments submitted by the various delegations and the views of relevant parties, the draft was further revised in more than 200 places, including over 100 substantive amendments—

  Strengthen oversight and management of activities such as the development of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, cultural tourism, and mountain outdoor sports.

  Increase the maximum fine for unauthorized extraction of groundwater.

  Further clarify that the state will strengthen the separate collection, treatment, and resource recovery of domestic waste.

  …………

  The Party’s propositions, the state’s will, and the people’s aspirations are closely integrated, and an ecological and environmental code that can withstand the test of history and practice has been unveiled to the world.

   Good laws and sound governance safeguard the new journey of building a Beautiful China.

  With the spring breeze gentle and the scenery bright, Yangdi Wharf in Yangshuo County, Guilin, Guangxi, is bustling with activity.

  In the distance, rolling peaks rise like ink-wash landscapes; nearby, backpackers wait to board boats and cross the river. Whether strolling through the streets or cruising along the water, one can always catch a glimpse of the mountains and feel close to the flowing waters.

  “With the Ecological and Environmental Code in place, we are even more confident and assured that a sound ecological environment will underpin a high‑quality life,” said Li Chu, Secretary of the Guilin Municipal Party Committee, visibly moved as he stepped out of the Great Hall of the People.

  The law is the cornerstone of governance. With the advent of the Ecological and Environmental Code, the legal framework for safeguarding our green mountains and clear waters has been strengthened and refined, elevating the modernization of the ecological and environmental governance system and governance capacity to a new height, and gradually unfolding a beautiful panorama of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature across our splendid land.

  With the power of the legal code, we safeguard each person’s beautiful home.

  The drumbeats from square dancing in the residential community, the fumes rising from the barbecue stall downstairs… According to statistics from the relevant authorities, complaints related to noise, cooking fumes, and unpleasant odors have remained persistently high for years, posing a persistent nuisance in both work and daily life—and representing a particularly intractable challenge in the field of ecological and environmental protection.

  To reduce noise in daily life, the Environmental Protection Code dedicates a special chapter to the prevention and control of noise pollution from social activities, while further strengthening measures to curb construction‑site noise.

  To address cooking fume pollution, the legal code has introduced requirements regarding site selection and other factors, shifting the focus from end-of-pipe remediation to source‑level prevention and control.

  …………

  “The Code extends pollution control from key industrial sectors to urban and rural residential areas, embodying a people-centered legislative philosophy and significantly enhancing the public’s sense of gain, happiness, and security in the ecological environment,” said Sun Youhai, Dean of the School of Law at Tianjin University.

  By harnessing the power of the legal code, we can better achieve both protection through development and development through protection.

  For ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, and wetlands, full protection is emphasized; for natural resources including land, minerals, water, and fisheries, coordinated efforts to ensure both resource conservation and sustainable utilization are clearly defined.

  The Ecological and Environmental Code both embodies the dialectical unity of high-quality development and high-level protection, while respecting the distinct characteristics of various ecological elements, achieving coordinated planning and balancing rigidity with flexibility.

  Emphasizing the economical and intensive use of natural resources, the policy stipulates that the state shall coordinate resource conservation with development and utilization; prioritizing biodiversity protection, it strengthens the conservation of germplasm resources and biological genetic resources, while ensuring the equitable sharing of benefits; and it implements integrated protection of arable land in terms of quantity, quality, and ecology. In this way, protection is robust, utilization is orderly, and development has sufficient room, achieving long-term, stable governance through institutional balance.

  “The Code will foster coordinated efforts across upstream and downstream sectors, as well as between waterborne and land-based systems, to establish a comprehensive ecological security framework. While safeguarding the ecological safety baseline, it will also leave room for rational and sustainable resource utilization,” said Qin Tianbao, Director of the Institute of Environmental Law at Wuhan University.

  Harnessing the power of the legal code to drive a comprehensive green transformation of the economy and society.

  Consumers are increasingly favoring energy-efficient, low-noise appliances, gravitating toward green and organic food products, and engaging in a booming secondhand‑goods market… This eco‑friendly consumption trend is gradually reshaping people’s lives.

  Today, this environmentally friendly way of life has been solemnly enshrined in the national legal code—

  Encourage and guide consumers to use green and reduced‑packaging, promote the development of secondhand‑goods markets and platforms, and strengthen relevant measures such as green consumption incentives and government green procurement…

  A close examination of the Code’s dedicated chapter on green and low‑carbon development reveals a coordinated approach to reducing carbon emissions, curbing pollution, expanding green spaces, and fostering growth. It establishes institutional frameworks for advancing the circular economy, increasing the share of non‑fossil energy consumption, and proactively addressing climate change, thereby strengthening the green foundation of high‑quality development.

  “The Code incorporates the ‘dual carbon’ goals into the legal framework, and from strengthening the climate‑security safeguard to aligning with international norms, it underscores China’s commitment as a responsible major country,” said Zhang Xingying, Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation at the China Meteorological Administration.

  Laws alone cannot be enforced; the life of the law lies in its implementation. Bringing a legal code into effect is no task that can be accomplished overnight—it hinges on taking root and depends on earnest enforcement.

  Qi Feiyun, Director of the Ecology and Environment Department of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, stated: “We will align with the Civil Code, advance the enactment, amendment, repeal, and interpretation of local regulations, establish a comprehensive oversight framework, continuously improve the ecological and environmental law enforcement system and mechanisms, strengthen the effectiveness of regulatory oversight, and safeguard the green mountains, clear waters, blue skies, and pristine lands of our country’s northern frontier.”

  Legislation lays out the blueprint, law enforcement upholds it with steadfastness, the judiciary ensures fairness, and citizens observe the law of their own accord. Only by embedding the spirit of the law in the daily practices of every department, every enterprise, and every individual can we transform legal provisions into concrete actions and build a lasting foundation for the rule of law.

  Upholding the law and establishing institutions ensures a strong nation and enduring prosperity. The law safeguards nature, bestowing benefits upon generations to come.

  The enactment of the Ecological and Environmental Code marks another milestone in the grand journey of Chinese modernization, elevating China’s governance to a new height. It will also draw on Chinese wisdom to address the shared concerns of all humanity, offering a Chinese solution to global environmental governance and contributing to the joint building of a clean and beautiful world.

[Editor-in-charge: Wu Jingze]

Source: Xinhua Net