Enhancing public awareness of environmental protection is as important as the fight against pollution, according to China's top legislature.

Reports on environmental protection and law enforcement are being discussed at the bimonthly session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, which ends on Thursday.

The reports were submitted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection on Monday.

Some committee members suggested the ministry improve environmental education as well as training for the public and environmental officials as part of efforts to fight pollution.

Lyu Wei, a member of the NPC Standing Committee, said she supports tighter supervision and stricter punishments for individuals or enterprises polluting the environment, while encouraging those making contributions to environmental protection.

"We should consider how to reward enterprises using innovative and technological measures to save energy and reduce pollution, because such efforts come at a financial cost to them," Lyu said.

However, some companies and universities have said there are no effective channels through which to educate others on their measures to tackle pollution, she said.

"In other words, those with knowledge of how to reduce pollution don't know how to promote their methods or share their experiences."

Wang Longde, deputy head of the NPC's Education, Science, Culture and Health Committee, agreed with Lyu. He said it is a must to enhance the public's awareness and knowledge of environmental protection, citing garbage classification as an example.

"We are calling on residents to recycle garbage and to classify it, but many people do not know what can be recycled or how to recycle," Wang said. "There are separate garbage cans in communities, but the classification of garbage is not being conducted."

Xin Chunying, another committee member, echoed Wang, suggesting the ministry step up efforts to promote garbage classification, such as educating the public on effective measures for separating garbage.

Under the revised Environmental Protection Law, the ministry is asked to submit environmental reports to the NPC Standing Committee regularly to help the top legislature increase supervision of environmental protection.