Chinese courts to improve trial of cases involving environmental concerns

BEIJING -- Chinese courts will strengthen and innovate their trial work in cases concerning the environment and natural resources, targeting the prominent environmental problems that directly affect the public and with a focus on biodiversity protection.

This was revealed in a guideline recently released by the Supreme People's Court and made public on Thursday.

The guideline stressed law-based trial of malodorous water treatment cases, proper settlement of disputes concerning waste sorting and other problems, and a crackdown on crimes involving arable land.

It put forward a set of measures to enhance comprehensive ecological conservation and biodiversity protection, including striking hard at fishing-related offenses and helping improve the ecological environment in the Yellow River basin.

People's courts have been asked to beef up judicial protection for water resources and strengthen the trial of cases involving energy restructuring in key areas as a part of efforts to achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals.