China Action Plan for the Management of New Pollutants
ENFORCEMENT TIMELINE
Strengthened from 2025 onward
Overview
China's Action Plan for the Management of New Pollutants (announced in 2022) is a comprehensive management framework covering "new pollutants" -- persistent organic pollutants (POPs), endocrine disruptors, antibiotics, and other substances posing significant risks to ecosystems and human health. The Chinese government is strengthening lifecycle management of chemical substances and advancing risk-assessment-based reduction and prohibition measures. The plan aims to build monitoring systems across the entire production, use, and emission process, promote development of substitute substances, and reduce environmental risk, requiring manufacturers and importers to maintain strict supply-chain management and reporting obligations.
Enforcement Timeline
- May 2022: The General Office of the State Council formally issued the Action Plan for the Management of New Pollutants.
- 2023-2024: Screening and risk assessment of new pollutants, and development and expansion of the priority-management list ("List of Key New Pollutants for Management").
- By the end of 2025: Identification of prohibited/restricted substances in key industries, and completion of a nationwide foundation for environmental monitoring and risk surveillance/assessment systems.
- 2026 onward: Full implementation of restriction measures based on risk-assessment results, and strict monitoring and auditing of emission reductions for new pollutants.
Business Impact
Chemical manufacturers and parts manufacturers with local operations in China are required to raise the management level of substances contained in their products and comply with reporting obligations.