China

In the face of mounting criticism, China has completed the first draft of a Soil Protection Law, but it is doubtful that it will be included in the State Council’s legislation plan until 2014 at the earliest.

China, South Korea and Japan say they will enhance trilateral co-operation to cope with global and regional environmental issues, particularly in air pollution in Northeast Asia.

Read Full Story The European Trade Commissioner, Karel De Gucht, is expected to tell his fellow EU commissioners on Wednesday that Brussels should levy punitive import duties on solar panels made in China, according to Reuters.

Using disposable polystyrene tableware is now okay in China after the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) overturned a 14-year ban earlier this week, much to the dismay of environmentalists and community groups. The ban was imposed by the now defunct State Economic and Trade Commission in 1999 due to environmental damage from its production and use. The NDRC now says disposable polystyrene tableware not only conforms to national food wrapping standards, but also can be recycled to make construction materials, paints and stationery.

A new report by Australia’s Climate Commission says that China is one of the world’s bright spots in global action to curb the effects of climate change. Though China remains the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, the report, The Critical Decade: global action building on climate change,  found that in 2012 China reduced the carbon intensity of its economy more than expected and almost halved the rate of growth for electricity demand.