At around 8:00 p.m. on March 16, 2025, thallium (Tl) concentration at the Dahetan cross-city water monitoring section on the Leishui River (between Chenzhou and Leiyang) was detected at 0.13 μg/L—exceeding the national surface water quality standard limit of 0.1 μg/L for centralized drinking water sources. This posed a potential threat to downstream drinking water safety. Following the incident, both Chenzhou and Leiyang cities launched emergency environmental responses. Comprehensive actions were taken, including full-basin water sampling, source tracing, pollution interception, thallium removal measures, enhanced flow regulation, and real-time water quality monitoring along the river to safeguard public drinking water. According to public reports, thallium concentrations at downstream water plants remained below the national drinking water limit of 0.1 μg/L, and water supply safety was not compromised. Notably, the automated monitoring system played a key role by issuing an early warning when thallium exceeded limits at the Dahetan section, buying time for emergency response and supporting rapid environmental monitoring. This incident highlights the critical importance of robust water quality monitoring and pollution source management systems. In regions with high thallium pollution risks, further improvements to these systems remain essential.

From 2015 to 2025, from the "Ten Point Clean Water Action Plan" to the "Battle to Keep the Water Clear”, China has marked a decade of progress in water pollution control. Over this period, the implementation of the new Environmental Protection Law, nationwide central environmental inspections, the revision of the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law, and the continuous refinement of the pollution permitting system have established a strong institutional framework for protecting water resources. As Chinese environmental organizations dedicated to water pollution prevention and public participation, the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE) and Green Jiangnan (PECC) formed a joint research group to summarize the historic improvements in water quality, assess the effectiveness of public participation and innovative mechanisms, and analyze the role of multi-stakeholder engagement in advancing water pollution prevention.

This report reviews surface water quality data for 361 cities across China in the third and fourth quarters of 2024, along with changes in water quality trends since the fourth quarter of 2022. Overall, urban water environments in China continued to improve during the second half of 2024.

In 2024, with the support of the Vanke Foundation, IPE explored carbon accounting methods for community-level waste sorting and treatment, building on research into urban-level greenhouse gas emission accounting methodologies. We found that household waste sorting can reduce carbon emissions through source reduction and resource recycling. We believe that improving relevant methodologies to account for carbon emission reductions from waste sorting can help promote voluntary carbon trading, thereby realizing economic value.

Compared to the same period last year, water quality improved in the second quarter of 2024. The proportion of cities with "excellent" or "good" water quality increased from 62.6% to 68.1%, while those with "fair" water quality decreased from 28.0% to 24.7%. Cities with "poor" water quality rose slightly from 6.1% to 5.0%, and those with "very poor" water quality decreased from 3.3% to 2.2%.

This report provides a detailed analysis of the economic and ecological feasibility of the plastic circular business model, aiming to provide effective solutions for the post-consumer plastic pollution control for China. The report delves into three key initiatives driving the construction of a circular ecosystem: policy incentives, information transparency, and the development of an evaluation system. The evaluation system is to assess and compare brands' performance in plastic circularity initiatives. This system not only offers companies a roadmap for action, helping them formulate strategies, set goals, and implement effective measures, but also encourages systematic participation in the construction of the plastic circular ecosystem. Through this report, we hope to provide both theoretical foundations and practical guidance for building a green, circular plastic ecosystem, contributing to the resolution of plastic pollution in China and globally.

The evaluation results show that leading cities continue to maintain high standards in waste sorting, with Suzhou and Shanghai scoring far ahead. Their standardized systems, based on the "14th Five-Year Plan" for the Development of Urban Domestic Waste Classification and Treatment Facilities, have withstood the test of time and are in stable operation. Several cities, having established waste sorting and disposal systems, have achieved basic waste sorting goals through secondary sorting. Among them, Beijing stands out as a representative, ranking third nationwide in total score.