On 31 October 2025, Premier Li Qiang signed State Council Decree No. 820, promulgating the “Regulations on Environmental Monitoring”, which entered into force on 1 January 2026. The regulations establish a unified national environmental monitoring system covering environmental quality, pollution sources, and ecological risks and set out a comprehensive framework spanning monitoring, data management, supervision, and accountability. They distinguish between two types of monitoring arrangements: public monitoring organised by government authorities and mandatory self-monitoring conducted by enterprises. In addition, the regulations introduce penalties for data falsification and unlawful interference with monitoring activities.
