Effective August 15! Light pollution has been codified, ushering in a new era of compliance for the lighting industry.

In 2020, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, promoted by the United Nations Environment Programme, adopted guidelines on light pollution, and in 2024 it released the International Light Pollution Guidelines. Meanwhile, the International Astronomical Union established a dedicated center to address dark-sky protection and review international policies. Combating light pollution has transcended national borders, becoming a global consensus. At the same time, legislation on light pollution around the world is evolving from fragmented local regulations or advisory recommendations toward comprehensive, specialized laws. France has incorporated light-pollution prevention into its Environmental Code; Italy has enacted legislation to safeguard the night skies above historic buildings; Croatia stipulates “ecological lighting” as the only permitted form for outdoor illumination; and Slovenia achieves both dark-sky preservation and energy savings by shutting down non-essential lighting. Japan and South Korea have also established complete regulatory frameworks, ranging from national guidelines to local ordinances, while U.S. states are advancing local legislation aimed at energy efficiency, public safety, and ecological protection.

On August 15, 2026, the Environmental Code of the People’s Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the “Code”) will officially come into force. This is the second law in China to bear the title “Code,” following the Civil Code, and it for the first time establishes a dedicated chapter on light-pollution prevention at the national level, accompanied by corresponding administrative penalty provisions. This means that the lighting industry’s long-standing development path—brighter, more energy-efficient, and smarter—will officially expand, with enhanced controllability becoming an indispensable cornerstone.

The Code defines light pollution and sets clear criteria for its identification at the legal level, establishing a unified regulatory framework. It mandates reasonable light‑limit values for lighting products, outdoor displays, traffic‑lighting systems, architectural glass, and related materials, advancing light‑control metrics from single‑dimensional brightness to multi‑parameter standards such as vertical illuminance, upward‑light ratio, glare, and flicker.

The Code also delineates key areas requiring focused regulation, including advertising screens, roads, stadiums, and construction sites, obliging operators to design, install, and maintain lighting facilities appropriately. It further prescribes administrative penalties for violations that persist despite corrective measures, thereby drawing clear legal red lines for the industry. With this, “light limits” have officially become the fourth mandatory parameter—joining safety, energy efficiency, and health—as lighting industry standards now rest firmly on a legal foundation.

In this transformative process, achieving precise control over light and fostering harmonious coexistence between light, society, and nature will drive profound changes across the lighting sector, requiring concerted efforts from all stakeholders along the supply chain.

Product Design and Manufacturing—Achieving More Precise Light Control Through Technological Innovation

In the future, lamp emissions must be “appropriate”—improper beam angles or excessive spill light that disturbs residents or drivers could constitute violations. Asymmetric optics and cut‑off designs—once considered high‑end features—will gradually become standard requirements across all product categories. Manufacturers must pay closer attention to product structural design and control mechanisms, strengthening collaboration with application engineers and end users during R&D. By leveraging new materials, technologies, and processes, they can enable products to achieve even finer light‑control capabilities.

Lighting Environment Design—From “Individuality” to “Integration with the Environment”

Good lighting design not only expresses individuality and highlights a building’s intrinsic character through light, but it must also align color, form, and projection direction with urban aesthetics, architectural textures, and ecologically sensitive zones. In urban settings, lighting design should balance basic functionality, environmental enhancement, and human well-being; in protected natural areas, lighting must yield to the night sky and wildlife—“harmonious coexistence” has become an essential requirement for modern lighting design.

User Needs—Scientific Awareness and Responsible Usage

Users’ expectations for lighting have evolved from simply “wanting it bright” to “wanting it constantly lit” (long lifespan) and then to “more energy‑efficient.” Going forward, these needs will further develop into “controllable on demand.” Even the best‑designed products cannot avoid harm if used improperly. In the past, many users equated “brightness” with “quality”: commercial buildings remained brightly lit throughout the night, advertising screens cast blinding light into the night sky, and residents installed unshielded courtyard lamps—all of which will face legal risks once the Code takes effect. Moving forward, managing the operation of lighting systems will be just as important as product design, and scientifically informed, on‑demand lighting will become a fundamental expectation for every user.

With regulations now in place and transformative change underway, lighting manufacturers are accelerating technological upgrades to embed precise light control into their product DNA, while end users and operational managers continue to raise awareness about responsible lighting practices, reducing unnecessary light spillage at the source. Industry associations, meanwhile, play a pivotal role in setting standards, building platforms, and facilitating international exchanges, turning rigid regulatory constraints into clear pathways for industrial upgrading. Through coordinated efforts, the entire lighting sector is steadily transitioning from “illuminating the world” to a new era of “coexisting with the world”—a mission that today’s lighting professionals are uniquely called upon to fulfill.

Source: China Lighting Fixture Association