China Marks Ecology Day as Landmark Environmental Code Takes Effect
The 2026 National Ecology Day main event was held on August 15 in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, coinciding with the first day of implementation of the Ecological Environment Code of the People’s Republic of China — the world’s first law named an “ecological environment code.” The event, themed “Cultivating the green foundation of Chinese-style modernization,” showcased China’s ecological achievements and outlined the path forward for environmental governance.
A Historic Milestone in Environmental Law
August 15 marked the fourth National Ecology Day since its establishment in 2023, and it carried particular significance as the day the Ecological Environment Code officially came into effect. According to Xinhua News, the code is the second law in China named a “code” after the Civil Code, consolidating more than 30 ecological environment laws, over 100 administrative regulations, and more than 1,000 local regulations into a unified legal framework.
The code, passed by the 14th National People’s Congress on March 12, 2026, contains five parts and 1,242 articles covering general provisions, pollution prevention, ecological protection, green low-carbon development, legal liability, and supplementary provisions. Its implementation resulted in the repeal of 10 existing laws, including the Environmental Protection Law, Air Pollution Prevention Law, and Water Pollution Prevention Law, among others.
Shi Chunfeng, director of the Legislative Planning Office of the NPC Standing Committee Legislative Affairs Commission, emphasized the code’s significance: “The code is rooted in China’s ecological environment governance practice, organically integrating people-centeredness, systematicity, contemporaneity, normativity, and openness and inclusiveness, constructing a full-chain legal guarantee of strict source prevention, strict process management, damage compensation, and severe consequence punishment.”
Ecological Achievements on Display
At the main event in Hulunbuir, officials from multiple government agencies presented a comprehensive picture of China’s environmental progress. Zhou Haibing, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), reported that China’s energy intensity has cumulatively decreased by over 26% since the 18th CPC National Congress, supporting 6.1% average annual economic growth with only 3.4% average annual energy consumption growth. PM2.5 average concentration in key cities nationwide has cumulatively decreased by 56% compared to a decade ago.
The Xinhua analysis of the event highlighted significant biodiversity gains. Zhang Liming, deputy director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, reported that the first five national parks have integrated over 120 various types of protected areas. The Tibetan antelope population has increased to over 70,000, wild Siberian tigers grew from 27 to 72, wild Amur leopards from 42 to 115, and Hainan gibbons expanded to 7 groups of 44 individuals.
The “Three-North” Shelterbelt Forest Program — a major ecological restoration initiative — has implemented 544 key projects over the past decade, with annual construction tasks exceeding 80 million mu (about 5.33 million hectares). Forest and grass coverage in the project area reached 40.76%, and the treatable desertified land treatment rate reached 67.82%.
Hulunbuir: A Showcase of Green Transformation
Hulunbuir, located in northeastern Inner Mongolia bordering Russia and Mongolia, served as an apt venue for the national event. As Xinhua reported, the region is defined by its “three major” ecological identifiers: approximately 100,000 square kilometers of natural grassland, 130,000 square kilometers of primitive forest sea, and over 500 lakes including Hulun Lake.
The Greater Khingan Range forest area stopped commercial logging of natural forests in April 2015, transforming loggers into forest guardians. Hulun Lake, known as the “kidney of the grassland,” underwent ecological restoration starting in 2013, and its water surface area is now stable at 2,241.6 square kilometers. Li Nannan, director of the Ecological Center at the Hulunbuir Northern Cold and Arid Region Inland Lakes Research Institute, noted: “In recent years, the watershed ecology has continued to improve, and this place has become the most stable migration stopover and breeding habitat for many rare birds.”
Hulunbuir’s Ecological Product Value (GEP) reached 700.23 billion yuan in 2025, reflecting the economic value of its natural assets.
First Case Under the New Code
The same day the code took effect, the first case applying the Ecological Environment Code was decided in Quzhou, Zhejiang Province. As People’s Daily reported, the case involved a noise pollution liability dispute in which a resident sued a ground-floor seafood shop for continuous low-frequency vibration noise from pumps and aerators operating 24 hours a day. The court ruled that even if noise monitoring values do not exceed national standards, operators who fail to implement effective control measures and cause persistent low-frequency noise that exceeds ordinary tolerance limits must bear civil liability.
Regional Activities Across China
Communities nationwide participated in Ecology Day activities with local characteristics. Guangxi launched a green certificate trading platform, Guangzhou’s Haizhu Wetland held “Code Reading” stamp collection activities and environmental education programs, and Shanghai’s Pudong district launched three ecological culture City Walk routes. In Sichuan’s Jian’ge County, the focus was on the ancient cypress trees of Cuiyunlang — the world’s largest and oldest artificial roadside ancient tree group, with 7,804 ancient trees including 7,778 ancient cypresses, the oldest being 2,300 years old, as Xinhua documented.
Looking Ahead: The “15th Five-Year Plan” Era
The “15th Five-Year Plan” period is a critical juncture for achieving fundamental improvement in China’s ecological environment. The plan’s outline dedicates a full chapter to “accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development and building a Beautiful China.”
Gong Mingzhu, director of the Inner Mongolia Development and Reform Commission, reported that during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, the region’s energy intensity cumulatively decreased by 18%, air quality continued to exceed the national secondary standard, and excellent water quality ratios reached historic best levels. Inner Mongolia completed 142 million mu of ecological construction tasks during the same period.
Shi Chunfeng underscored the importance of implementation: “The life of the code lies in implementation, and the authority of the code also lies in implementation.” As China enters this new phase of environmental governance, the combination of comprehensive legislation, measurable ecological achievements, and nationwide engagement signals a continued commitment to building what officials describe as a “Beautiful China” — with the green transformation of Chinese-style modernization as its foundation.