{"id":87397,"date":"2026-07-28T11:29:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T10:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lse.ac.uk\/granthaminstitute\/?post_type=publication&p=87397"},"modified":"2026-07-28T11:29:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T10:29:11","slug":"the-chinese-courts-environment-and-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"publication","link":"https:\/\/www.lse.ac.uk\/granthaminstitute\/publication\/the-chinese-courts-environment-and-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"The Chinese courts \u2013 environment and climate change"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chinese courts have played an increasingly important role in the country’s environmental and climate governance, particularly since the emergence of environmental litigation over the past decade. Yet the position of Chinese courts in relation to other state institutions and their practical contributions are not well understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This paper provides a comprehensive account of the Chinese court system, examining how the specialised environmental divisions function and their limitations. The authors carried out a systematic review of key legal documents and judicial decisions, analysed accounts from official media, and drew on information from 20 interviews with judges and prosecutors at central and local levels conducted between 2022 and 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The paper shows how institutional reforms, new legal pathways and shifting governance objectives have shaped judicial practice. The findings underscore the Chinese courts’ growing capacity to influence environmental and climate governance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key points for decision-makers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n