NRDC supported China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) to hold the 17th Annual Judges and Lawyers Training from August 3 to 7 in Fujian Province, which is a pioneer in environmental protection. More than 100 judges from Fujian's ecological tribunals attended the training to better deal with complex environmental litigation cases. Experts from the Supreme People's Court, CUPL, Xiamen University, and other institutions shared their insight on China's current challenges surrounding environmental case hearings, particularly focusing on environmental torts, environmental public interest litigation, as well as evidence collection and verification, and environmental standards application. This year's training was especially significant because China’s amended Environmental Protection Law came into effect on January 1, 2015, which allows NGOs to file public interest lawsuits for the first time in Chinese legal history.