A comprehensive overhaul of existing laws and regulations is underway to ensure the accurate and effective implementation of the Ecological and Environmental Code, an official from China's top court said.

On Friday, coinciding with World Environment Day, Yang Linping, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, said at a news conference that she and her colleagues are aligning, revising and abolishing current judicial interpretations and guidelines in the ecological and environmental sector with the new code, which will take effect on Aug 15.

"We're also drafting new judicial interpretations of the code to ensure its thorough and precise implementation, thereby enhancing efforts in pollution control, ecological protection, and green, low-carbon development," she added.

Adopted in March by the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, it is the second law in China to be titled a "code", following the Civil Code. It serves as the cornerstone of ecological and environmental legislation.

Yang emphasized that in addition to refining the legal framework in this field, the SPC has organized specialized training sessions for courts nationwide to improve the quality of relevant case handling, safeguard the public's environmental rights, maintain ecological security, and promote a comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development.

Wu Zhaoxiang, chief judge of the SPC's Environment and Resources Division, emphasized the importance of strengthening judicial protection for cultural relics and heritage — a new requirement under the new code which calls for the integrated management of natural and cultural sites in both urban and rural areas.

Wu cited data showing that since 2015, Chinese courts have handled more than 19,000 cases related to cultural heritage protection, making robust efforts to combat crimes involving damage to cultural relics and intensifying measures to promote preventive conservation.

"We've established protection bases and specialized institutes to enhance the handling of such cases," he said. For instance, courts in Sichuan province have established a tribunal to handle environmental and tourism disputes concerning the cultural treasures of the Sanxingdui and Jinsha relic sites of the ancient Shu civilization, which date back around 2,800 to 3,600 years ago.

"These specialized judicial institutes have not only advanced the professionalism of related case handling, but also provided stronger legal support for cultural relics and heritage," Wu added.

According to the data, by 2025-end, China had established more than 2,500 organizations dedicated to handling environment and culture-related protection cases. Some courts have also invited technical specialists and formed expert groups to improve the assessment and evaluation of ecological damage, further ensuring the quality of adjudication.

As part of efforts to crack down on polluters, Chinese courts concluded 229,000 first-instance environmental and resource cases in 2025. They wrapped up 23,000 cases that included strengthening protection of ecosystems and species, besides severely penalizing activities that harmed rare wildlife and their habitats.

In addition, courts nationwide proactively supported industrial upgrading, energy transformation and carbon market development, concluding 61,000 cases in these areas.

Reflecting the principle of "integrated protection of cultural heritage, natural sites and the ecological environment", courts at all levels also resolved 1,706 cases involving cultural relics and heritage protection in 2025, according to the data.

Furthermore, China has enhanced public awareness of legal and environmental protection issues by disclosing landmark cases and interpreting existing laws. For example, the top court has included more than 350 significant environmental and resource cases in its database for public reference and research, while releasing cases involving national parks, solid waste pollution and motor vehicle supervision to encourage stronger environmental conservation.