Environment and Resources Adjudication in China (2023) Country/Territory China Type of court National - higher court Date Jun 1, 2024 Source UNEP, InforMEA Court name Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China Seat of court Supreme People’s Court Headquarters, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Judge Multiple Reference number N/A (Annual Report of the Supreme People’s Court; includes Guiding Cases Batch 38 – Nos. 212 to 216) Language Chinese Abstract This official annual report issued by the Supreme People’s Court on 1 June 2024 reviews China’s environment and resources adjudication during 2023. It outlines five guiding concepts—law-based duty performance, green development, systematic protection, strict rule of law, and collaborative governance—and summarises judicial efforts to support pollution prevention, biodiversity conservation, and China’s “dual-carbon” goals. Nationwide courts accepted 258,555 environment and resources cases and concluded 231,830, including 6,219 public-interest lawsuits. The report details new 2023 judicial interpretations on ecological-environmental tort liability, criminal pollution, forest-resource crimes, and evidentiary standards; highlights the “three-in-one” integrated mechanism and cross-regional jurisdiction; and records cooperation with UNEP and other partners to strengthen environmental rule of law and sustainable development.Key environmental legal questions:How courts operationalise the “three-in-one” system linking criminal, civil, and administrative environmental adjudication. How judicial interpretations standardise liability and evidence in ecological and environmental tort and criminal cases. How courts integrate ecological restoration, public-interest litigation, and government accountability into environmental governance. How judicial mechanisms support pollution prevention, biodiversity protection, and the transition toward carbon neutrality. How international judicial cooperation promotes rule of law for ecological civilisation. Full text Environment and Resources Adjudications 2023_EN.pdf Environment and Resources Adjudications 2023_CN.pdf 10199