Chinese courts report progress in supporting environmental governance

GUIYANG -- Since 2021, Chinese courts have reported a steady decline in first-instance environmental and resource-related cases, an encouraging sign of progress in judicial efforts to support ecological and environmental governance.

China has established more than 2,400 specialized judicial institutions and organizations for environmental and resource-related cases, making it the country with the most extensive and comprehensive system of environmental judiciary bodies in the world, according to Yang Linping, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court.

Yang made these remarks on Saturday at an international judicial forum held in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province.

From June 2014 to December 2024, courts across China concluded a total of 2.282 million first-instance environmental and resource-related cases, the forum revealed.

In the realm of international exchange and cooperation concerning environmental justice, the United Nations Environment Programme database has included four batches of 45 Chinese environmental judicial cases and eight environmental justice reports, offering the world a window into China's legal framework and successful practices in environmental governance, the forum confirmed.