China Opens Environmental Court to Tackle Pollution Damages

China has opened its first environmental court, as the country is struggling to cope with the impact its rapid industrialization has had on nature.

The court in the southern province of Fujian will be able to make use of a new environmental law giving more powers to persecute polluters from January 1, 2015.

Twenty specialist consultants will provide assistance to litigators on technical issues, as Xinhua news agency reports.

Beijing has embarked on a new environmental strategy which involves a shift to energy sources considered more "eco-friendly" like natural gas (which is to replace a certain part of coal consumption over the next decades) and other measures to deal with the aftermath of three decades of pollution caused by China's double-digit growth.