China Enacts Ecological Environment Code to Strengthen Green Governance

On March 12, 2026, the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) in its fourth session passed the "Ecological Environment Code" of the People’s Republic of China. The code, the nation’s second law formally titled as a “code” after the Civil Code, consolidates existing environmental statutes into a single, systematic framework. It embeds Xi Jinping’s ecological civilization thought, aiming to protect public health, improve ecological rights, and support high‑quality development through integrated pollution control, biodiversity protection, and climate‑change measures. The legislation calls for differentiated regional management, stricter enforcement, and new standards for monitoring, assessment, and penalties, positioning the code as a cornerstone for China’s modernized eco‑governance and its contribution to global environmental stewardship.