Judicial review is a controversial issue in China. The efficacy of environmental litigation, however, has increased significantly in recent years. A central component of this development has been the introduction of the environmental public interest litigation (EPIL). Since the reform of the Environmental Protection Act in 2015, Non-Governmental Organizations have been granted standing against actions that harm the environment, even if they have no direct interest. Although there are still many problems relating to environmental litigation, considerable progress has been made. This article analyses the emergence and progress of EPIL as well as its scope and requirements.