The Chinese government will use "environmental credits" to gauge companies' pollution control efforts and influence the treatment they get in various social aspects.

According to a trial guideline on corporate environmental credit evaluation, companies' performance in following environment-related rules and fulfilling their duties in environmental protection will be rated and the results released as references for public supervision and decision-making by financial institutions when granting loans.

The document was jointly released Thursday by four government departments including the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the National Development and Reform Commission, and aimed at raising the cost for enterprises' environmental violations.