China has officially implemented a new regulation on ecological environment monitoring, effective January 1st. This comprehensive set of rules, signed by Premier Li Qiang, aims to standardize practices, enhance monitoring capabilities, and ensure the accuracy of environmental data across the nation. The regulation addresses issues like low-price competition in the monitoring services market and promotes high-quality development within the sector.
Standardizing Monitoring and Enhancing Data Quality
The newly enacted regulation, comprising seven chapters and 49 articles, was promulgated by a State Council decree in November. It is designed to bring order to the ecological environment monitoring sector, which has faced challenges such as “bad money driving out good” due to intense low-price competition, according to Zhang Dawei, head of the ecological environment monitoring department at China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment. The regulation introduces institutional measures to foster high-quality development.
Integrated Supervision and Accountability
A key aspect of the regulation is the clarification of classified management for both public monitoring and self-monitoring. It establishes an integrated supervision approach that combines “remote plus on-site plus credit” methods. This framework includes stricter accountability measures, allowing for penalties against both organizations and directly responsible individuals. In serious cases, these penalties can range from fines to industry bans.
Embracing Technology for Efficient Monitoring
The regulation actively encourages the adoption of non-contact monitoring methods, such as remote sensing, to boost efficiency and minimize disruption to business operations. Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), China intends to advance satellite constellations and expand the application of unmanned technologies within its national monitoring network. The goal is to achieve faster, more reliable monitoring while significantly reducing the reliance on manual labor.