Major environmental protection achievements during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15)

Factories in Rizhao, Shandong province, on Feb 19. [Photo/IC]

1. Environmental Protection law

China's revised Environmental Protection Law came into effect on Jan 1 this year, bringing with it heavier punishments.

The revision, adopted and approved by the National People's Congress on April 24, 2014, is the first revision in 25 years.

It increased the responsibility of local governments to deal with environmental problems and gives them unprecedented power.

Polluters will also be made to pay accumulating fines if they fail to rectify violations, making the revised law stricter than previous versions. In the past, enterprises received a one-off fine.

The policy takes a zero tolerance approach. Local officials may be demoted or sacked for misconduct, including hiding offenses, falsifying data, failing to publicize environmental data, and not giving closure orders to enterprises that illegally discharge pollutants.