View From the Bench: Strengthening Environmental Governance in China's Courts

The battle to combat pollution in China is increasingly finding its way to Chinese courts. Recent class action and public interest lawsuits involving pollution victims are demonstrating how environmental artibration is becoming an important tool for tackling environmental issues.

To accommodate the growing number of pollution cases, Chinese courts are working to refine their expertise in environmental adjudication. For example, in 2007 local governments accelerated the creation of special environmental courts; today, China boasts nearly 90 such courts. To help fill gaps in environmental legal expertise among China