An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 11, 2026 shows egrets in a wetland of Honghe National Nature Reserve in northeast China"s Heilongjiang Province. (Photo: Xinhua)

　　China took a major step toward green modernization on Saturday as its landmark Ecological and Environmental Code officially came into force, strengthening the legal foundation for a more harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

　　Adopted by China"s top legislature in March, the code is China"s second formal statutory code after the Civil Code.

　　The code comprises 1,242 articles in five chapters, covering pollution control, ecological protection, and green and low-carbon development, among other areas.

　　As China advances its Beautiful China initiative, the code is expected to strengthen rule-of-law guarantees for ecological protection and provide fresh impetus for the country"s green and low-carbon transition.

　　A STRONGER SHIELD FOR NATURE

　　Now in effect, the Ecological and Environmental Code brings together more than 30 laws, 100 administrative regulations, and 1,000 local laws and regulations through systematic integration, compilation, revision, and refinement, creating stronger legal synergy for ecological protection.

　　"This is a historic shift in the logic of China"s ecological and environmental governance," said Qin Tianbao, a professor at Wuhan University. With the new code, China"s ecological protection is moving from fragmented management toward systematic governance, Qin said.

　　The new code has also been welcomed by local judicial authorities across the country, who say it will have a major impact on their work.