case Mainland China English summary

Guiding Case No. 173: Green Peafowl Preventive Environmental Public Interest Litigation

指导案例173号:北京市朝阳区自然之友环境研究所诉中国水电顾问集团新平开发有限公司、中国电建集团昆明勘测设计研究院有限公司生态环境保护民事公益诉讼案

A related preventive environmental public-interest case requiring courts to assess major ecological risks to endangered species before irreversible damage occurs.

Brief English Introduction

The case challenged a hydropower project that could affect the habitat of endangered green peafowl. The Supreme People’s Court emphasized prevention: when evidence shows a real risk of destructive and irreversible ecological harm, courts should evaluate the protected interest, likelihood, seriousness, and irreversibility of the damage before waiting for harm to occur.

Use It For

Use this as a similar case for the preventive dimension of corporate environmental responsibility.

Teaching Notes

The case lets students test how far corporate approvals and development goals should protect a company when public-interest plaintiffs allege grave ecological risk.