ChinainaDecade:BuildinganEcologicalCivilization-BeautifulChinaInitiativeguidingChina'sgreendevelopment_GuangmingOnlineChinainaDecade:BuildinganEcologicalCivilization-BeautifulChinaInitiativeguidingChina'sgreendevelopmentSincethe18thCPCNationalCongress,thePartyCentralCommitteewithComradeXiJinpingatitscorehastakenseriouslytheissueofenvironmentalprotectionfromaglobalandstrategicstandpoint,introducingaseriesofnewthoughts,strategies,andrequirementsfortheconstructionofecologicalcivilization,deepeningreforms,andstrengtheninglawenforcementinecologicalpreservationandenvironmentalprotection.China’senvironmentalconditionshavebeenhistoricallyandfundamentallyimproved,withsolidstepstakeninimplementingtheBeautifulChinaInitiative.I.ThethoughtonecologicalcivilizationhasimprovedChina’senvironmentalprotectionsystem1.GuidingroleofXiJinpingThoughtonEcologicalCivilizationThe18thCPCNationalCongressincorporated“ecologicalcivilization”intothefive-prongeddevelopmentofsocialismwithChinesecharacteristics.TheFifthPlenarySessionofthe18thCPCNationalCongressestablishedthenewdevelopmentconceptthatfeaturesinnovative,coordinated,green,open,andshareddevelopment.The19thCPCNationalCongressreaffirmedthatChinawouldadheretotheharmoniouscoexistencebetweenmanandnature,whichwasincludedasoneofthe14basicstrategiesfordevelopingsocialismwithChinesecharacteristicsinthenewera;andsetthegoalofbuildinga“BeautifulChina”.Atthesametime,thePartyConstitutionhasincorporatedtheconceptthat“lushmountainsandlucidwatersareinvaluableassets”togetherwiththeNewDevelopmentConcept,EcologicalCivilizationandtheBeautifulChinaInitiative,allofwhichhavecontributedenormouslytoChina’secologicalpreservationandenvironmentalprotection.AttheNationalConferenceonEcologicalandEnvironmentalProtectionheldonMay18,2018,GeneralSecretaryXiJinpingdeliveredanimportantspeech,answeringmajortheoreticalandpracticalquestionssuchas“whybuildanecologicalcivilization,whatkindofecologicalcivilizationtobuild,andhowtobuildanecologicalcivilization”.TheXiJinpingThoughtonEcologicalCivilizationwasofficiallyestablishedasthefundamentalguidanceforthecountry’scampaigntobuilda“BeautifulChina”andachieveharmoniouscoexistencebetweenmanandnature.2.ImprovementoftheenvironmentalprotectionsystemSincethe18thCPCNationalCongress,theOpinionsonAcceleratingtheConstructionofEcologicalCivilizationandtheGeneralPlanforReformingtheEcologicalCivilizationSystemhavebeenreleased.Morethan30lawsandadministrativeregulationsinthefieldhavebeenformulatedorrevised,andalegalandregulatorysystemcoveringallfieldsofenvironmentalprotectionhasbeenestablished.3.GreatercontributiontoglobalenvironmentalgovernanceSincethe18thCPCNationalCongress,ChinahasactivelypromotedandledtheglobalnegotiationprocessonclimatechangethatresultedintheeventualsigningoftheParisClimateAgreement.Chinaalsomadethesolemncommitmenttopeakitscarbonemissionby2030andachievecarbonneutralityby2060.Inaddition,ChinaisactivelypromotingtheUnitedNations2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment.Chinaheldthe15thmeetingoftheConferenceoftheParties(COP15)totheConventiononBiologicalDiversitywhichledtotheannouncementoftheKunmingDeclaration;organizedthe14thMeetingoftheConferenceoftheContractingPartiestotheRamsarConventiononWetlands(COP14);andbuilttheBeltandRoadInitiativeInternationalGreenDevelopmentCoalition(BRIGC)andtheBeltandRoadInitiativeEnvironmentalBigDataPlatform,contributingChineseconceptandwisdomtoglobalenvironmentalgovernance.II.Chinahaslaunchedafullfightagainstpollutionandgreatlyimproveditsenvironmentalquality1.Importantvictoryofthefightfor“bluesky,lucidwater,andcleansoil”In2021,theshareofcoalinChina’sprimaryenergymixdroppedto56.0%,down12.5%from2012;theproportionofcleanenergyconsumptionincreasedto25.5%;theinstalledcapacityofandelectricitygeneratedbyphotovoltaicandwindpowerrankedfirstintheworld;therateofcleanheatinginnorthernareasreached73.6%;steelplantswithatotalofabout680milliontonsofcrudesteelcapacityareunderlow-carbontransformation;1billionkilowattsofcoal-firedpowerunitshaveachievedultra-lowemission,makingChinathecountrywiththeworld’slargestcleancoal-firedpowersystem;coal-firedboilersoflessthan35steamtonshavebeenphasedoutinkeyregions,andboilerswithacapacityabove65steamtonshavebeenrenovatedforultra-lowemission.Asof2021,pollutedriversin295citiesattheprefecturelevelorabovehadbeentreated;all10,638ruralwatersourcesnationwidesupplying1,000tonsofwaterperdayorservingmorethan10,000peopleweredesignatedasprotectedareas;pollutionsurveyswerecompletedcoveringallthetributarymouthsontheYangtzeRiver,theoutfalloftheYellowRiverintheBohaiSea,therivermouthsontheupperstreamoftheYellowRiverandsomesectionsofitsmiddlereaches.AspecialcampaigntorectifysewagetreatmentfacilitieswasorganizedcoveringalltheindustrialparksalongtheYangtzeRiver,and1,064industrialparkshadbuiltcentralizedsewagetreatmentfacilities.Soilpollutionsurveysofagriculturallandandcorporatelandinkeyindustrieshavebeencompleted,andall2,783agriculture-relateddepartmentsatthecountylevelhavecompletedtheclassificationofarablelandbysoilquality.Since2018,Chinahaslaunchedacampaignagainstsmugglingofusedelectronicproductsfromoverseasforfourconsecutiveyears,bringingdownsuchimportstozero.Atthesametime,the“wastecleaning”campaignalongtheYangtzeRiverEconomicBelthasbeenorganizedforthreeconsecutiveyears,cleaningup56.8milliontonsofsolidwaste.2.EnvironmentalqualitycontinuestoimproveIn2021,theaveragepercentageofclean-airdaysin339prefecture-levelcitiesandabovehit87.5%,6.3percentagepointshigherthanin2015;218citiesmettheairqualitystandards,accountingfor64.3%,up35%over2015.Theaverageconcentrationofthesixbasicpollutantshaddecreasedyearbyyear,ofwhich,theconcentrationofPM2.5was30μg/m3,down34.8%from2015;theconcentrationofO₃was137μg/m3,downforthesecondconsecutiveyear.Airpollutionpreventionandcontrolhaveimprovedsignificantlyinmajorregions,andtheproportionofclear-airdaysintheBeijing-Tianjin-HebeiregionandtheYangtzeRiverDeltaincreasedby13.5and8.0percentagepointsrespectivelyagainst2015,faroutperformingthenationalaverage.III.Strengthenedeffortsinecologicalprotectionandeffectiveresultsinecologicalrestoration1.SteadyimprovementofecologicalconditionsTheNinthNationalForestResourcesInventory(2014-2018)showsthat,asof2018,China’sforestcoveragehadreached22.96%,forestareahadhit220.5millionhectares,andforestaccumulationhadamountedto17.6billioncubicmeters.ComparedwiththeEighthNationalForestResourcesInventory(2009-2013),forestcoverageincreasedby1.33percentagepoints,forestareaincreased12.8millionhectaresandforestaccumulationincreased2.4billioncubicmeters,andtheforestareaandforestaccumulationhavegrownsteadilyfor30consecutiveyears.Intermsofgrasslandresources,from2013to2021,theChinesegovernmentinvestedmorethan170billionyuantoincentivizetheecologicalprotectionofgrassland,nearly267millionhectaresofgrasslandwasputunderprotection.Chinaalsolaunchedarestorationcampaignforitsgrassland,designatingatotalof253millionhectaresofgrasslandforprotection,andnaturalgrasslandcoveragehadreached56.1%.Intermsofwetlandresources,from2013-2021,theChinesegovernmentinvested16.9billionyuanformorethan3,400wetlandpreservationprojects,addingorrestoringmorethan800,000hectaresofwetlands,designating64wetlandsofinternationalimportance,andwetlandprotectionandrestorationhaveenteredanewstage.ThenaturereservesysteminChinahascontinuedtoimprove.Atotalof10nationalparkpilotprojectswererolledout,constructionofthefirstbatchofnationalparksandtheintegrationofnaturereserveswaskickedoff,andanaturereservesystemcenteringonnaturalparkshasbasicallybeenestablished.Atpresent,thetotalareaofnaturereservesaccountsforabout18%ofthecountry’slandterritory,with5nationalparksand41worldgeoparks,andthenumberofworldgeoparkshassteadilyrankedfirstintheworld.2.GreatprogressinecologicalprotectionandrestorationChinahasactivelyimplementedthe“greenland”campaignandadvancedkeyprojectssuchastheThreeNorthernProtectedForests,NaturalForestProtection,ReturningCultivatedLandtoForestsandGrasses,ReturningGrazingLandtoGrasses,andContainingSandstormSourcesoftheBeijing-Tianjinarea.Totalafforestationareareached59.4millionhectaresfrom2013to2021,including32.2millionhectaresofartificialafforestation,accountingfor54.2%ofthetotal.Voluntarytree-plantingactivitieswerecarriedoutinallformsacrossthecountry.Qualityofforestswassignificantlyimproved,withanaverageof8.3millionhectaresofforestaddedeachyear.Chinahasalsodesignated152nationalforestcitiesandagreatnumberofforestvillages.From2013to2021,atotalof17.27millionhectaresofdesertwasharnessed;atotalof1.9millionhectaresofforestationwasaddedtothenorthoftheBeijing-Tianjinarea,fixating66,000hectaresofsanddunes;thetotalareaofsandylandunderclosed-offprotectionreached1.8millionhectares;41nationaldemonstrationareasfordesertificationcontainmentand125nationaldesertparkshavebeenbuilt.IV.Betterlivingenvironmentwithgreenandlowcarbonlifestylebecomingnewtrend1.ContinuousimprovementoflivingenvironmentinbothruralandurbanareasIn2020,totalinvestmentinurbanenvironmentalinfrastructurereached523.6billionyuan,anincreaseof36.2%over2012,amongwhichinvestmentinsewagetreatmentandrecyclingandwastetreatmentincreased2.7timesand5.4timesrespectively;dailytreatmentcapacityofurbansewageplantsreached192.7millioncubicmeters,up64.2%over2012;sewagetreatmentratehit97.5%,up10.2percentagepoints;harmlesstreatmentcapacityofdomesticwastereached963,000tons/day,anincreaseof115.9%over2012.In2020,greencoverageinurbanbuilt-upareasreached42.1%,up2.5percentagepointsover2012;greenspacerateinbuilt-upareashit38.2%,up2.5percentagepointsover2012.Improvementofruralhabitatisinfullswing.Chinahasheldfirmlytothebottomlineofdrinkingwatersafety.In2021,tapwaterpenetrationrateinruralareasreached84%,8percentagepointshigherthanin2015.A“toiletrevolution”wasrolledoutinruralareas,andover40millionruraltoiletshavebeenupgradedsince2018.In2021,thepenetrationrateofsanitarytoiletexceeded70%.2.GreenlifestyleisleadingthetrendLow-carbontravelisbecomingmoreconvenientwithanimprovedpublictransportationsystem.In2021,mileageofurbanrailtransitinoperationreachedabout8,736km,anincreaseofabout3.2timesovertheendof2012;publicbusesdrivenbynewenergyhadaccountedformorethan66%ofallpublicbusesrunningincities;318citiesatorabovetheprefecturelevelnowsupportone-card-for-allpublictransportationmeans.Chinaalsohadatotalofmorethan19millionsharedbikes,withanaveragedailyordervolumeexceeding45million.Newenergyvehicleshaveshownamomentumofexplosivegrowth,too,asoftheendof2021,thenumberofnewenergyvehicleshadreached7.8million,anincreaseofabout5.6timescomparedwiththeendof2016;accountingfor2.6%ofthetotalnumberofvehicles,up2.0percentagepoints;salesofnewenergyvehiclesreached3.5million,anincreaseofabout5.9times.Greenlifestylehasbecomethenewfashion.Chinahaspromotedthegarbagesortingcampaigninanorderlymanner,andsortingofdomesticgarbagehasbeenfullypracticedincitiesatorabovetheprefecture-level.Asoftheendof2021,atotalof263,900residentialcommunitiesin297citieshadcarriedoutdomesticgarbagesorting.Sincethelaunchofthe“cleanplate”campaignin2013,thesocialatmosphereofsavingfoodhasbeencreated,andtheAnti-FoodWasteLawhasprovidedadditionallegalsupportforthecampaign.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.