China
The Environmental Protection Law at China’s environmental legislative system
China’s system of environmental legislation is established based on the Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China that was enacted in 1989. Under this law, other separate laws have been enacted for controlling pollution. Some of these laws are as follows:
China updated the Environmental Protection Law in 2015. This was the first major revisions. The revised law includes stricter punishments on polluters. It also allows non-governmental organizations to file environmental lawsuits against violators. The National People’s Congress revised other laws, including the Law on the Prevention and control of Air Pollution in 2018 and the Law on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution in 2017. The Congress also adopted the Law on the Prevention and Control of Soil Pollution on August 31, 2018.
Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution was enacted in 1987 and amended in 1995, 2000, 2015 and 2018. This Law is formulated in order to prevent and control atmospheric pollution, protect and improve people’s environment and the ecological environment, safeguard human health, and promote the sustainable development of economy and society. The concentration of the discharged pollutants may not exceed the standards prescribed by the State and local authorities. The quality standards for products containing volatile organic compounds, such as coal, petroleum coke, biomass fuel, and coatings, fireworks and firecrackers, boilers, etc., are developed and the atmospheric environment protection requirements are specified.
The environmental legislative framework to protect the air pollution is as follows.
Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution
Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution is formulated in order to prevent and control water pollution, protecting and improving the environment, and safeguarding the safety of drinking water.
The environmental legislative framework to protect the water pollution is as follows.
Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution
Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste is the national primary law governing municipal and industrial waste management. This law lays out basic requirements for solid waste disposal for industrial facilities. It requires the specified facilities to get approval from the local environmental protection bureau for waste disposal plans prior to construction. The bureaus are also responsible for issuing permits for the collection, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste.
The environmental legislative framework on waste management is as follows.
Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste
Industrial chemicals are mainly regulated by the following regulations in China:
“Decree of the State Council No 591 Regulations on Safe Management of Hazardous Chemicals”
“Order of the Ministry of Environmental Protection No. 7 Environmental Management of New Chemical Substances”
Pursuant to article 15 of the Decree No 591, manufacturers of hazardous chemicals shall provide safety data sheet on the hazardous chemicals that are produced, post or affix a chemical safety label on the package. The contents in safety data sheet and chemical safety labels should meet the requirements of relevant national standards. The relevant standards in China are as follows:
On April 29, 2020, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China (MEE) issued the final Measures on Registrations of New Chemical Substances for Environmental Management under Ministry Order No. 12. The new Measures replaces the current 2010 version and comes into force on January 1, 2021, when the Order No.7 will be repealed.
Same as the current version, the new Measures require manufacturers and importers to register new chemical substances with MEE before placing the new chemical substances on the Chinese market. They also introduce a notification process for new uses of existing listed substances.
Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals (Revision draft for solicitation of comments)
In order to strengthen the safety management of hazardous chemicals, prevent and reduce hazardous chemical accidents, the Ministry of Emergency Management organized the consultation on the draft of the “Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals”, which had been open to the public comments until 1 November, 2020. If approved, it will replace Decree No. 591.
The draft law is applicable to the safety management of the production, storage, use, operation, transportation and disposal of hazardous chemicals. It consists of 11 chapters (Article 137), and based on the lessons learned from the explosion accident, “Safety of hazardous chemical disposal” etc. was added to clarify the responsibility for safety supervision of the disposal (Disposal safety). The State implements a hazardous chemical registration system.
Framework of EHS laws and regulations in China.
China
The Ecological Environment Code of the People’s Republic of China was passed by the 14th National People’s Congress and will take effect on August 15, 2026. This article (Part 4) …
China
The Ecological Environment Code of the People’s Republic of China was passed by the 14th National People’s Congress and will take effect on August 15, 2026. This article (Part 3) …
China
The Ecological Environment Code of the People’s Republic of China was passed during the 14th National People’s Congress and will take effect on August 15, 2026. This article (Part 2) …
China
The Ecological Environment Code of the People’s Republic of China was promulgated on March 12, 2026, by Presidential Order No. 70. This is the second law in China to be …
China
On February 9, 2026, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) promulgated the revised national environmental standard, Technical Specifications for Soil Environmental Monitoring (HJ 166-2026). This standard, which updates the …
China
On February 13, 2026, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) promulgated the revised version of the mandatory national standard, Ambient Air Quality Standards (GB 3095-2026). This standard, which updates …
China
On February 9, 2026, China’s National Development and Reform Commission published a draft List of Products Subject to The Energy Efficiency Labeling Requirement (2026version) Along with Energy Efficiency Labeling Rules …
China
On February 2, 2026, China’s Ministry of Water Resources published the 2025 edition of the Guidelines on Preferential Policies for Water Conservation Industry. The guidelines aim to promote government measures …
China
On February 9, 2026, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) published the Notice on the Implementation of Operations Related to the National Carbon Emissions Trading Market for Fiscal Year …
China
On February 9, 2026, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) of the People’s Republic of China published the Notice on Further Strengthening the Management of Ozone-Depleting Substances and Hydrofluorocarbons …
China
On February 1, 2026, the Department of Ecology and Environment of Shandong Province published the Shandong Province Supplementary List of Key New Pollutants for Management (2025 Edition) on its official …
China
On December 31, 2025, the State Administration for Market Regulation of China published the voluntary national standard, General Rules for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Accounting and Reporting for Industrial Enterprises (GB/T …
China
On February 3, 2026, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), together with seven other government authorities including the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the National Development and Reform …
China
On January 7, 2026, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) of China published the List of Hazardous Waste Management Exclusions (2026 Edition) in order to fully implement the Law …
China
On January 16, 2026, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), together with four other central government agencies including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of …
China
On January 29, 2026, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released a draft of the Administrative Measures for Industrial Water Conservation (hereinafter, the Measures) and launched a public …
China
On January 21, 2026, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) published a draft announcement on its official website proposing the addition of five chemical substances to the Catalogue of Hazardous …
China
On December 29, 2025, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) released the List of Priority Controlled Chemicals (Third Edition). The list contains 23 chemicals, including carcinogenic substances such as …
China
On November 28, 2025, China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) issued the Detailed Rules for the Administration of Green Electricity Certificate (GEC) Management for Renewable Energy (Trial). The rules took effect …
China
On December 18, 2025, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), together with nine other central government agencies including the National Development and Reform Commission, issued the Measures for the …
China
On January 4, 2026, China’s Ministry of Commerce and other eight government departments and agencies jointly announced a national campaign to promote green consumption. It aims to promote green transformation …
China
On December 30, 2025, China’s Ministry of Commerce issued 2026 editions of the List of Goods Subject to the Import License Requirement and List of Goods Subject to the Export …
China
On December 31, 2025, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation issued a national standard called General Requirements of Safety in Production Process (GB 12801-2025). It will come into effect October …
China
On January 4, 2026, China’s State Council released the Comprehensive Action Plan for Solid Waste Management. The plan sets goals for 2030 and outlines measures to reduce solid waste emissions …
China
On December. 10, 2025, the Extended Producer Responsibility Technology and Innovation Alliance, a Chinese NPO, published its annual report for 2025 on China’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) implementation for electrical …
China
On December 30, 2025, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Finance issued the Notice on Implementing Policies to Promote Large-Scale Equipment Renewal and Consumer Goods …
China
On November 18, 2025, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) issued an announcement prohibiting the manufacture of polyurethane products using 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane (HCFC-141b) as a blowing agent.
China
On November 4, 2025, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued a mandatory national standard, “Identification Standards for Solid Wastes General Rules” (GB 34330-2025). This is an update to the …
China
On December 19, 2025, nine central government bodies—including the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment—jointly issued the Corporate Sustainability Disclosure Standard No. 1 – Climate (Trial). …
China
On November 21, 2025, the China Electronics Standardization Institute (CESI) published a set of frequently asked questions (FAQ) and answers regarding the implementation of the mandatory national standard GB 26572-2025, …
China
On December 23, 2025, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) released the Action Plan for Promoting the Use of Recycled Materials to expand the utilization of recycled resources and …
China
On December 27, 2025, at the 19th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress, China adopted the Hazardous Chemicals Safety Law. The law will take effect …
China’s Hazardous Waste Management: Key Policy and Regulatory Updates in 2025
China
China defines “hazardous waste” as solid waste that is listed in the National Hazardous Waste Catalogue or identified according to national standards and methods, possessing one or more hazardous characteristics …
China
On Nov. 10, 2025, China’s Ministry of Commerce and other four government departments jointly announced export control on 13 items of precursor chemicals to the United States, Mexico and Canada, …
China
On Oct. 31, 2025, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation and Standardization Administration issued a recommended national standard called the Requirements of Work Safety Management System for Large and Medium-sized …
China
An article recently published on China’s national congress’s website and other platforms reports that a second draft of pollution control provisions and penal provisions in the draft Ecological and Environmental …
China
On Nov. 19, 2025, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment published a draft list of chemicals to add to the list of priority-controlled chemicals (“priority chemicals”). The new list will …
China
On October 31, 2025, the State Administration for Market Regulation officially issued the recommended national standard “Specification for the Use of Recycled Materials in Household Appliances” (GB/T 46730-2025). The standard …
China
On November 18, 2025, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced Adjustments to the Applicable Standards for Hazardous Substance Content Limits and …
China
On Nov. 19, 2025, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment published a draft list of chemicals to add to the list of priority-controlled chemicals (“priority chemicals”). The new list will …
China
On November 6, 2025, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) published a draft announcement titled “Requirements for Restricting Mercury-Added Products Including Mercury Batteries and Polyurethane Production Processes Using Mercury …
China Carbon Market Development Policy Dynamics Report
China
China’s carbon market development has evolved through three stages: local pilot exploration, national market foundation-laying, and institutional improvement. At the present stage, it has formed a dual-track framework of “mandatory …
China
On October 31, 2025, the State Council of China promulgated the Regulation on Ecological Environment Monitoring (hereinafter referred to as the “Regulation”) as a State Council decree. The Regulation will …
China
On Oct. 31, 2025, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation issued a mandatory national standard called the General Rules for Safety Management of Coating Operations (GB 7691-2025), which will come …
China
On Nov. 8, 2025, China’s State Council published a white paper on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality in China, titled “Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality China’s Plans and Solutions”. It …
China
On October 28, 2025, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) of China announced partial amendments to the Environmental Protection Tax Law. The revision introduces a new provision …
China Recycled Plastics Policy Dynamics Report
China
Globally, plastic regulation is forming an internationally mainstream model of “graduated mandatory requirements.” The European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), effective from February 2025, mandates phased increases in …
China
On October 31, 2025, the State Administration for Market Regulation of China promulgated the mandatory national standard “Safety Technical Code for Work in Confined Spaces” (GB 46768-2025). The standard will …
China
On October 28, 2025, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China announced that it has approved the “Amendments to Annex A and Annex B of the Minamata …
China
On October 30, 2025, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released the “Catalog of Nationally Encouraged Industrial Water-Saving Processes, Technologies, and Equipment (2025 Edition).” The catalog lists water-saving …
China
On Oct. 9, 2025, China’s General Administration of Customs and Ministry of Commerce announced export control on goods related to lithium batteries and synthetic graphite anode materials starting Nov. 8, …
China
On Oct. 13, 2025, the National Development and Reform Commission of China published draft measures on renewable energy share targets for individual energy users and provincial-level local governments. The commission …
China
On Oct. 9, 2025, China’s State Council issued on its website a circular on criteria and preferential treatment for domestic products in government procurement. The criteria and treatment are based …
China
On Sept. 23, 2025, China’s National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation published important questions and answers on the national voluntary greenhouse gas market, also known as the …
China
On November 3, 2025, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) published draft amendments for public comment to two key documents under China RoHS regulations: “Compliance Management Catalog for …
China
On September 18, 2025, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) officially released the “List of Key Controlled Toxic and Hazardous Soil Pollutants (First Edition)” (hereafter referred to as “the …
China
On September 30, 2025, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) published two draft announcements on its official website, inviting public comments: Draft Announcement on the Ban of HCFCs as …
China
On September 23, 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a video address at the United Nations Climate Change Summit, outlining China’s new greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction strategy. According to …
China
On September 2, 2025, China’s National Health Commission officially issued the revised version of the mandatory national standard titled “National Food Safety Standard: Coatings and Coating Films for Food Contact …
China
On September 17, 2025, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) officially released the “Product Catalog for Energy Efficiency Labeling (2025 Edition)” along with the corresponding implementation rules. The final …
China
On August 14, 2025, the Environmental Protection Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region of China announced, under Chief Executive Directive No. 163/2025, that the import of disposable plastic cotton …
China
On September 2, 2025, China’s National Health Commission officially issued the revised version of the mandatory national standard titled “National Food Safety Standard: Silicone Rubber Materials and Articles for Food …
China
On Aug. 22, 2025, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management published on its website five draft industry standards for occupational accident prevention services by occupational accident insurance providers: Specifications for Accidents …
China
On Aug. 27, 2025, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced an Action Plan for Nitrous Oxide Emission Control in the Industry Sector. The action plan aims to promote the …
China
On September 16, 2025, the Chief Executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region issued Chief Executive Order No. 177/2025, announcing amendments to Annex 1 of Administrative Regulation No. 30/2016, titled …
China
On Aug. 26, 2025, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management published on its website a draft industry standard called the Criteria for Determining Major Accident Potential in Chemical Industry Enterprises and …
China
On August 25,2025, China’s top authorities—the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council—jointly released a policy document named Guideline …
China
On August 19, 2025, China’s Solid Waste and Chemicals Management Center, under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), announced that the deadline for submitting applications to extend the confidentiality …
China
On September 9, 2025, the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (CNCA) released the Fifth List of Implementation Rules for Green Product Certification. The list adds rules for nine new …
China
On Aug. 1, 2025, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation issued a national standard setting out methodology and requirements for the carbon footprint determination of room air conditioners, titled “Greenhouse …
China
China’s top legislative body, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), is set to conduct a second review of the draft Hazardous Chemicals Safety Law, according to a …
China
On Aug. 13, 2025, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) published a draft of the mandatory national standard titled Regulations for the Preparation of Chemical Safety Labels on …
China
On Aug. 1, 2025, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) published seven draft mandatory national standards (GBs) concerning the safety requirements for toys and children’s products and launched …
China
On Aug. 6, 2025, the All-China Environment Federation, a Chinese nonprofit organization, announced a public program for product carbon footprint accounting for 2025. Businesses can apply for the program on …
China
On July 30, 2025, the China Resource Recycling Association, a Chinese nonprofit organization, announced a nationwide pilot program for standardized recycling. The announcement includes brief implementation details of the program.
China
On June 30, 2025, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation issued a revised mandatory national standard called Minimum Allowable Values of Energy Efficiency and Energy Efficiency Grades for Projectors (GB …
China
On July 28, 2025, China’s National Certification and Accreditation Administration issued implementation rules for the compulsory certification (China Compulsory Certification [CCC]) of power banks and lithium-ion batteries (CNCA-C09-02:2025). These came …
China
On June 30, 2025, China issued a mandatory national standard for the classification and labeling of desensitized explosives, titled “Specification for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals—Part 30: Desensitized Explosives” (GB …
China
On July 25, 2025, China’s National Development and Reform Commission issued measures on energy conservation review and carbon emissions assessment of facility construction projects. These came into effect Sept. 1, …
China
On July 29, 2025, China’s National People’s Congress published on its website an article from state-owned newspaper Legal Daily that explains corporate responsibility in the draft Ecological and Environmental Code …
China
On June 30, 2025, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation issued a revised national standard, GB/T 21097-2025, titled General Rules on Safe Service Life and Recycling for Household and Similar …
China
On June 30, 2025, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration of China officially released the revised national standard GB 27999-2025, titled “Passenger Car Fuel Consumption Evaluation …
Report on the Compilation of China’s Ecological and Environmental Law Code
China
In April 2025, the “Draft Ecological and Environmental Law Code of the People’s Republic of China” was submitted to the 15th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National …
China
On Aug. 1, 2025, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation issued a new mandatory national standard, GB 26572-2025, titled Requirements for Restricted Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic …
China
On July 1, 2025, China’s National Development and Reform Commission(NDRC) released the draft of the “Energy Efficiency Label Product Catalog (2025 Edition)” and related implementation rules, inviting public comments until …
China, Report on Policy Developments Related to Hazardous Chemicals Tracking
China
China implements catalog-based management for hazardous chemicals. The “Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals (2015 Edition)” clearly defines hazardous chemicals as highly toxic chemicals and other substances with properties such as toxicity, …
China
On June 30, 2025, the Standardization Administration of China officially released the mandatory national standard titled “Requirements for Toxic, Hazardous, and Restricted Substances in Personal Protective Equipment” (GB 31420-2025). This …
China
On March 27, 2025, China’s Ministry of Commerce issued the industry standard “Used Home Appliance Collection Service Specification” (SB/T 11246-2025), which will take effect from October 1, 2025. This standard …
China
On May 30, 2025, China officially issued the revised mandatory national standard GB 12021.2-2025 “Limits of Household Refrigerator Energy Consumption and Energy Efficiency Grades”, which will take effect on June …
China
On March 27, 2025, China’s Ministry of Commerce issued the industry standard “Used Home Appliance Collection Service Specification” (SB/T 11246-2025), which will take effect from October 1, 2025.This standard outlines …
China
On July 3, 2025, the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment released a draft revision of the mandatory national standard “Standard for the Use of Additives in Food …
China
On June 27, 2025, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) published a draft notice titled “Announcement on the Ban on the Production of Polyurethane Products Using 1,1-Dichloro-1-Fluoroethane (HCFC-141b) as …
China
On June 26, 2025, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management announced that two chemical substances—4-piperidone and 1-BOC-4-piperidone—will be added to the country’s list of controlled precursor chemicals. The regulation will take …
China
On June 26, 2025, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released the “Implementation plan for strengthening the promotion of green and low-carbon standardization in industrial and information technology …
China
On June 24, 2025, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) released the “2024 Report on Progress in Climate Change Response.” The report summarizes China’s efforts and achievements in addressing …
China
On May 30, 2025, China’s Standardization Administration has issued a new mandatory national standard titled Safety Technical Code for Packaging Containing a Variety of Dangerous Goods (GB 45835—2025). The regulation …
China
On May 30, 2025, China’s Standardization Administration has issued a new mandatory national standard titled Safety Technical Code for Packaging Containing a Variety of Dangerous Goods (GB 45835—2025). The regulation …
China
On July 10, 2025, China’s Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) has released the first edition of the Product Carbon Footprint Label Certification Pilot Program Product List. The announcement follows the …
China
On May 30, 2025, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released a revised mandatory national standard, titled Limit of Harmful Substances of Coatings—Part 1: Architectural Coatings (GB 30981.1-2025). The …
China
On April 25, 2025, China’s National Standardization Administration announced a new recommended national standard, titled Specification for the Usability Classification of Second-Hand Electronic Products (GB/T 45656-2025). The regulation took effect …
China (1,070)
*Hong Kong (24)
*Taiwan (231)
Japan (82)
South Korea (303)
Brunei (8)
Cambodia (2)
Indonesia (117)
Laos (14)
Malaysia (132)
Myanmar (8)
Philippines (161)
Singapore (135)
Thailand (226)
Vietnam (328)
Oman (2)
Saudi Arabia (6)
Australia (58)
New Zealand (21)
