Interview: Expert depicts China's new environmental code as landmark for green development

Marco Lambertini, convener of the Nature Positive Initiative and former director general of WWF International, hailed the code as a "landmark" step that fully reflects the great importance China attaches to ecological civilization and environmental protection.

by Martina Fuchs

GENEVA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- China's newly adopted Ecological and Environmental Code, a comprehensive legal framework consolidating existing environmental laws, underscores the country's commitment to green development and strengthens its global leadership in tackling climate change and biodiversity loss, an expert has said.

Adopted by the country's top legislature during the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress, the code integrates over 30 existing environmental laws, more than 100 administrative regulations and numerous other legal documents into a unified system covering pollution control, ecological protection and low-carbon development. It is set to take effect on Aug. 15, 2026.

Marco Lambertini, convener of the Nature Positive Initiative and former director general of WWF International, hailed the code as a "landmark" step that fully reflects the great importance China attaches to ecological civilization and environmental protection.

"The code aims to accelerate sustainable development and environmental protection," he said.

The new legislation aims to safeguard the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature, thus consolidating the country's theoretical, institutional and practical achievements in ecological civilization since 2012.

"It also aims to drive a systemic change in the way China as a country deals with the environment, with common principles, common goals," he added.

"There is absolutely no doubt that China is in a position of leadership on the climate change agenda and the decarbonization pathway. The facts and figures speak for themselves," Lambertini said.

"This is the first time that a large economy like China has been able to begin to decouple emissions from economic growth and stability ... This is exactly what we need to see in moving forward everywhere in the world," Lambertini said.

Nature Positive is a global societal goal aimed at halting and reversing nature loss by 2030 on a 2020 baseline, and achieving full recovery by 2050. This is fully aligned with the objectives of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.