China's legislature has voted to adopt revisions to the country's environmental law, introducing tougher penalties for polluters.

 

The reviews are the first changes to the legislation in 25 years, according to the state news agency Xinhua. The revised law has 70 articles while the existing one has 47 and the changes will come into affect from January 1, 2015.

 

Companies and industries found to be in breach of environmental standards will face stricter penalties "an important principle of the new legislation," according to Xinhua. Companies will be named and shamed for breaking environmental protection laws while individuals in charge of companies found to be in breach will face up to 15 days in prison.

 

There are specific articles on tackling the country's air pollutionproblems. Many of China's cities are plagued with lung-choking smog on a regular basis due the reliance on coal. The new revisions also call for improved environmental monitoring.

 

The revised law sets no limits on the fines imposed on polluters. Previously in some cases the fines were so low it was cheaper to violate environmental limits than install pollution-reducing equipment. This was an issue that some lawmakers brought up during discussions on the new revisions.

 

Local governments will also be held responsible and officials can be either fired or demoted if they found guilty of covering up environmental breaches or not making environmental information public.

 

The revised law also calls on the Chinese public to "adopt a low-carbon and frugal lifestyle and perform environmental protection duties". The law calls on the public to make efforts such as sorting rubbish for recycling.