Tough steps help reduce green cases

Top court reports drop in environmental lawsuits as a result of harsher penalties

China has stepped up efforts to strengthen penalties and improve the quality of environmental justice, leading to a continuous drop in related cases, according to the country's top court.

The Supreme People's Court released a report on Thursday, showing a decline in the number of environmental cases heard by Chinese courts, with figures falling from 297,492 in 2021 to 245,723 in 2024.

Last year, courts nationwide continued their vigorous enforcement of environmental laws and regulations related to air, water, soil, solid waste and noise protection, imposing stringent criminal penalties on those who polluted the environment and harmed ecosystems, the report said.